Endless Incubus
by Selto
Summary: Kagome is a girl of hidden potential who awakens the 500-year-old powerful priestess blood of her ancestors. But the future in which she lives would not save her from the past. Fate waits for no one. His command was absolute. He was willing to taste a taboo. Sesshomaru x Kagome
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. They belong to our beloved Rumiko Takahashi. This story is fictional and written for the pure entertainment of the readers.

**Author's Note**: This first chapter is more or less a prologue. Those who have the patience to keep reading will not be disappointed. ^_^!

**Warning:** Chapters marked with * hold mature content. Those who are not fond of it (or are underage) are kindly asked not to read the aforementioned chapters. Also, this is NOT a pretty story. It is dark, angsty and rated 'M' for a reason. But I do want to mention that in this context the word 'dark' is not meant to describe the story as disturbing or containing weird fetishes and what not. No, it simply has a darker theme and hints of the unnatural, paranormal, and unexplained. For those of you who enjoy a good thrillerish story with a more complex plot, I warmly encourage you to proceed.

**Title connotation:**

_**INCUBUS:**_

1. a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women

2. someone who depresses or worries others

3. a situation resembling a terrifying dream

In this story's case, the third definition applies. In other words, Incubus here stands for Nightmare.

* * *

"I'm sorry for your loss, dear," an old female voice said from behind her. "They should not have died so soon."

The only reply she received was a silent "I know", followed by a mournful sigh that escaped the girl's lips. She refused to look the old woman in the eye just yet.

Instead, with great reluctance, she finished tying the red pants of her kimono. Tradition was hard to ignore, especially if it ran in the family.

"She is said to be our ancestor, right?" the girl briefly asked, gazing through her thick lashes upon the old painting of a young priestess hanging on her wall. A change of subject was in order. It was best if she tried to focus on something less emotionally devastating. Three weeks have passed since their funeral. She should have come to terms with it by now.

"Yes. Kikyo Nakamura, the first priestess to have walked these sacred grounds. I don't know if I told you, Kagome, but Kikyo had become such a figure because these sacred lands were forbidden to women back then. Only high priests could even come close and-"

"Yes, you've told me, grandma," Kagome sighed again.

Really, she had heard this tale ever since she was little. The legend of the High Priestess Kikyo who walked the sacred lands of Edo 500 years ago, the same lands upon which the Nakamura family estate was currently located on. It was said that ever since a long time ago these lands have been bestowed with immense spiritual power. Only high priests could withstand it and use it. Commoners could not even come close, and priestesses seemed to have the same problem. Many believed it was because female spiritual power was not strong enough to withstand such energy.

As a memento to Kikyo, each generation of direct Nakamura descendents celebrate the time Kikyo claimed the lands as her own and made them her home. For 500 years, the duty of carrying on the role of high priestess had been passed down from mother to daughter, from mother to daughter. Tradition had it that until they became of marriageable age, the Nakamura girls would be trained in the art of becoming priestesses so they could take care of Kikyo's shrine. After that, they could either continue on with their duty, or choose to marry.

Having nothing left to do but accept what was to come, with difficulty and utter care Kagome closed her eyes to sharpen her resolve. Fate was cruel to her. Three weeks ago, her parents and younger brother died in a car accident. Now, it was imperative that she participated in her final and most important ceremony at the shrine so she could finally receive the title of high priestess from her grandmother, Kaede. It was painful, to say the least. Although she had not been interested in following in her mother's, and grandmother's, and great grandmother's, and -in all actuality- Kikyo's footsteps as a priestess, this was a family tradition. The title was supposed to be given to her by her mother though, not her grandmother.

Kagome fought to keep the tears at bay. Her mother had been planning for this moment for as long as she could remember.

"There, all done," Kaede said with a small smile. The dark wavy hair of her granddaughter had been straightened and tied with a white ribbon in a low pony tail. "I must say, the resemblance is very uncanny."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, grateful for the innocent distraction.

"See for yourself, child," was the woman's answer, who shortly after standing moved to bring a mirror on the opposite wall so it would rest near the Kikyo's portrait.

Whirling around, careful not to slip on the recently waxed wooden floor, Kagome raised her eyes to stare at her reflection in a curious manner. There was no mistake. Seeing her reflection right beside the painting, she could easily realize what her grandmother meant. Her reflection seemed to rather resemble the painting than herself. Uncanny indeed.

"We...look alike," the girl acknowledged at last.

"Extremely so."

"I...guess we should be going," Kagome said, glancing from the corner of her eyes outside the window to stare into the darkness that now claimed the lands. It was too hard, she concluded. Was there even a reason for her to go on with this charade? It was no secret that she felt no inclination towards being a priestess, but for her mother, who had truly been a figure of love and understanding, she would've chosen this path and much more. But now...what meaning did it have? Her fists clenched tightly, her nails digging small crescent moons in the delicate skin of her palms as her eyes continued to lose themselves in the darkness of the summer night. She felt lost.

Up there, on the third floor of her family's house, only two rooms resided. Her bedroom and that of her brother's which had been stripped of all its belongings so they could be given to those in need, as it was custom for the Nakamura's.

Not many people visited their estate. Many blamed it on the legend of Kikyo. But Kagome had served in the shrine many times, and had even helped out during festivals. She had said prayers for those who came to visit, trying her best to make them feel at ease. She couldn't understand why they were still so weary. 'Kikyo's Legend? Frightening?' A dry chuckle escaped her lips. People refused to visit the estate because of that? Oh, the fearsome uncertainty people felt when faced with spirituality was quite unnerving. That, or the fear of climbing so many steps to get to the shrine.

Her poor attempt at humor did not lighten up her mood at all. It showed her just how much distress was bottled up within her. She was a mess, there was no other way around it. She missed her family too much.

"Ready, child?" Kaede's old but gentle voice interrupted her inner musings. Her grandmother knew that should she not act soon, Kagome would once again drown herself in anguish. The elderly woman could relate to her granddaughter's pain. The deaths of her daughter, son-in-law and grandson were very hard to accept. After receiving the news Kaede had confined herself in her room, and refused to let herself step outside until her heart found a way to cope up with the devastating blow it received so mercilessly. And eventually, two days later, her old wooden door creaked open and the elderly woman slowly but steadily made her way outside, her eyes firm and head held high. She would pray for the dead souls that they found peace, and would resume her now much more solitary life as one her age should.

Her true concern had been, and still was, Kagome. The girl was young, her soon-to-be-eighteen mind did not have the strength to fully understand how much grief truly weighted upon her fragile heart. Kagome reacted much like herself when she received the news, and refused to leave her bedroom. However, as days passed, she did not come out, little sound coming from her room. That had worried Kaede greatly, and on the fourth day of Kagome's solitary confinement she had entered the room, deeming it necessary to have a serious talk with the girl. She had been truly surprised to find Kagome lying upon a neatly made bed, her entire room sparkling with cleanliness and books piled up beside the bed. Apparently, her granddaughter had been reading and cleaning the entire time.

Kaede was then in a true predicament. While she was grateful to have not found the girl a quivering bundle under the bed covers, with a tear stained face and red puffy eyes, the fact that Kagome chose to spend this time reading, and bottling up her feelings did not sit well with Kaede.

However, up until this very day, Kagome seemed to be fine. Kaede had honestly been expecting her to snap at any moment, and let all of her grief out so she could silence her raging heart. But no such thing happened. Perhaps the girl was stronger than she thought? That, or maybe more stubborn than she remembered. Either way, Kagome had yet to have an outburst. Perhaps this incident made her granddaughter more mature and convinced her to abandon such emotional exteriorizations?

"Ah, I hate this! Why do I feel like this? I'm so nervous I can't even remember what I'm supposed to do during this stupid ceremony!"

Perhaps not. Kaede shook her head, taking silent note of the girl's light stomping. Emotional exteriorizations would not be so easily left behind it seemed.

"Don't worry yourself over trivial things, Kagome. It will come to you once the ceremony begins," Kaede explained.

"No, you don't understand! It may have come to you and my mom so naturally because you wanted it to, but I am no real priestess. Come on, grandma, you know as well as I do that even our cat has a better idea of what spiritual power is," Kagome retorted, dreadfully anticipating the nocturnal ceremony.

"Nonsense, all Nakamura priestesses get a grasp of spiritual power eventually and if it is not before then it's definitely during the sacred ceremony," Kaede said, grabbing Kagome's hand in a tight grip and tugging her along and out of the room.

In all honesty, Kaede was thrilled at seeing Kagome properly dressed in the traditional miko kimono. It was forbidden for the Nakamura shrine maidens to wear the proper white and red miko kimono until they've proven themselves worthy of being called high priestesses. It was all done in order to honor the name of their Mother Priestess, Kikyo. While most Nakamura priestesses were not reluctant to continue the tradition, Kaede noticed that with the passing of years the miko abilities of their bloodline gradually lessened and were now a far cry from what they used to be.

According to the legend, priests and priestesses in Kikyo's time would preserve their energy before death and let it flow through each generation so it would not die. However, if one did not harness it enough, the energy would lose its power. Still, to think that 500 years have passed and Kikyo's spiritual powers continued to be passed down even in small doses made the old woman wonder...just how powerful had Priestess Kikyo been for her power to last this long?

"I'm not ready for this!" Kagome vehemently protested.

"You're as ready as you'll ever be. Quit complaining, Kagome! Your mother would be very disappointed."

Oh, she struck a sensitive nerve, and they both knew it. Kagome glared at her grandmother's back. This was so not a pretty thing she was doing. How could she even think to manipulate her like that?

"I can't believe you would use that to make me go on with this!"

"You leave me no choice. Try to see things my way, Kagome. Wouldn't it be a pity for 500 years of tradition to go to waste simply because of an emotional breakdown? It is painful, I understand, but it will only last this one night, and afterwards you will be able to choose to leave this path behind and marry, if that is your wish. My one and sole desire is that, no matter what happens, you will pass on your miko knowledge to your daughter someday," Kaede finished.

In truth, the elderly woman realized her words must have seemed cold and unfeeling towards the girl. But there was no way around it. Whether Kagome wanted it or not, the ceremony would be held. If not...Kaede would rather not think what would happen then.

Ignoring the shiver that ran down her spine at even the thought of that dreadful possibility, Kaede willed herself to focus on making sure this ceremony went on smoothly. After all, Kagome's future depended on it. Kaede came to realize early in her years that being a priestess was not something the Nakamura girls could do out of their own free will. They had no other choice. Kaede had witnessed her own cousin and sister die because they have refused to become high priestesses of Kikyo's shrine. It was no mere coincidence, and if memory served, there have been many other women in their family who have shared the same fate. So Kaede understood then that it was vital for a Nakamura girl to become a miko.

The elderly woman was determined not to frighten Kagome by telling her all this. All her granddaughter needed to know was that this ceremony would be held regardless of her opinion. Once she was named high priestess through the ceremony, her life would cease to be endangered by Kikyo's curse. _'What could have happened to you for you to harbor such hatred and place a curse on your own family, Kikyo?'_ , Kaede wondered.

Kagome could see her grandmother's point, even if it did frustrate her to no end. What bad could come out of one ceremony?

She sighed then, finally willing her legs to move faster so her grandmother could understand that she was not protesting as much anymore.

Upon taking the subtle yet very eager hint, Kaede released the arm of her granddaughter, thus resuming to leading her steadily outside the house. No words were uttered as they descended the steps of the old mansion, the squeaking of the dark ancient wood beneath their feet serving as the only reminder of their determined steps. Kagome discreetly glanced around the house as they quietly made their way toward the entrance doors, carefully taking in the familiar, yet at this very moment foreign darkness of her home. The walls, so smooth to the touch, were adorned with the soft glow of traditional lamps, and the dim light gently illuminated the wooden floor mostly covered by tatami matts. Bookshelves embraced the wider of the walls, the books' leather covers dimmed by a thin layer of dust. Old scrolls and parchments were neatly placed in chronological order just above the bookshelves as masterly-carved candlesticks were elaborately scattered between them so when lit they would cast light in just the right angle for reading to be enjoyable. Tapestries embellished the walls, adding a soft touch of ancient times to the house, the low style Japanese tables of dark maroon displaying an impressive collection of origami figures. As they walked, Kaede carefully made sure to extinguish the small flames of the lamps, leaving the house in complete darkness.

It was strange, really, how usually Kagome could not wait to spend some time outside and enjoy the nightly blessed sky, and now it seemed as if all she wanted to do was to remain within the safe grounds of the mansion, never to move again until this..._threat_...yes, _**threat**_, would disappear completely. But her body desired to move and feel the cool night air upon its heated skin.

Kagome inhaled deeply as she stepped foot outside her house. This night seemed to be darker than usual and something seemed to be calling for her. She felt allured by something, the alluring string promising nothing enjoyable. Her apprehension grew.

Very few lamps were scattered here and there to illuminate not nearly enough the gardens which surrounded her home. Their light was dull and pale, doing little to give her the sense of security a light bulb usually provided in the night. Unsure footsteps followed the more determined ones of the old woman who seemed completely unaware of her granddaughter's growing anxiety.

The Nakamura lands were covered by dense mountain forests and so even the mansion was surrounded by tall coniferous trees which now, poorly lit and and engulfed in thick shadows, seemed to loom over them like wraiths. The dark cloud-filled sky denied the moon the right to shine, instead intensifying its nightly depth so no stars could be seen. _'What a night'_ , Kagome thought, rubbing her arms to fight off the goose bumps as she followed her grandmother down the ancient sinuous forest path.

Kagome raised her hand to lightly place it upon her chest. There was no doubt. Her heart was racing as if she had been running a marathon. She couldn't understand why she was feeling like this. It felt like she knew she should be afraid...but she didn't know of what.

Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine causing her body to stiffen. A new feeling of unease washed over her but this time more intense than before. It was much more tempestuous, bordering fear. And a gasp was released from her rigid lips as she traced this feeling to its source. She felt this unexplainable, yet undeniable feeling of _**being watched**_. Ever so slowly she dared to glance over her shoulder, silently praying that she wouldn't find anything.

She saw nothing. Nothing but darkness, and the faded outlines of her mansion. But, as she gazed upon her home, her heart racing as it was, and her mind so troubled, the house did not seem as inviting. No, in fact, it spoke of the same dread she had been feeling coming from outside. Why she felt like this, she couldn't exactly say. However, the feeling was so tangible that she stopped ignoring it.

Then, just before she was about to turn around, something caught Kagome's eye. Her cerulean orbs widened significantly, and the hand upon her chest shook helplessly as realization finally hit her. There was _**light**_ in the house. Right in the room where she had been before. _Her_ room. She saw a flicker of light, and right before it died down, she could make out a _**silhouette**_.

"Someone's in the house!" her voice wavered in her sharp whisper as her fingers lowered themselves none-too-slowly to clutch the fabric of her hakama in a desperate attempt to calm herself and conceal her trembling.

Kaede stopped walking, and turned around to gaze surprised at her granddaughter. Her old knowing eyes narrowed slightly while they attentively surveyed Kagome in silent contemplation, thus unhappily observing her distressed state. It was not unheard of for a Nakamura to become more sensitive to paranormal calls before the sacred ceremony, so Kaede could only guess this was the reason for Kagome's disquiet. However, even her granddaughter should not mistake those small signs for something so tangible. Not yet at least. The house's inspection came next. She saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Kagome, no one's in there, I assure you. The house may not have an alarm system, but the entrance of our estate does. No one can enter these lands without us knowing," Kaede explained, dismissing the matter without a second thought.

"I know, but I swear I-"

"If you truly insist on there being someone, then you should know it could only be Totosai or Myoga," Kaede said, turning around. The girl was truly more paranoid than she thought she would be. She could tell it will take great effort to ensure she did not do something regretful during the ceremony.

Kagome sighed with relief. Of course, how could she forget? Both her uncles were supposed to attend this ceremony, since tradition dictated that upon such an important event family members were required to assist. She nearly felt like laughing at herself. Why common sense left her on this night she couldn't say.

She truly, deeply and -needless to say- constantly hated when people forced her to do something. She exhaled in annoyance while mustering up a harsh glare to settle on her grandmother's back. Really, could she be any more...mean?

_Tingle tingle..._

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, her body frozen in place. Her blood ran cold in an instant as the deep resonance of her own heartbeat pounded forcefully in her ears. Cold fingers rose to her lips, in a poor attempt to stop them from quivering, the tips of her fingers so cold she could've sworn they had been held in ice. The shaking returned more violent than before.

In that moment she felt it. A _**hand,**_ cold and rough, slowly tracing up her spine. She whirled around, her eyes frantically searching for what had been touching her.

She was met with nothing. Nothing but the night breeze. Her hands now covered her mouth, her deep blue hues reluctantly taking in her dark surroundings. This couldn't be happening to her! She had felt it! She couldn't be imagining it! That touch, it left such cold tingling sensations coursing through her body that the after effects had yet to disappear.

_Tingle tingle..._

She suppressed a frightened gasp. The touch returned, this time caressing the back of her neck. She whirled around again, and for a split moment she could've sworn she saw a shadow looming over her. But now, as she again found herself begging her eyes to resume their frantic search of whatever was assaulting her, she found nothing. Nothing but darkness.

Unknowingly to her, the salty liquid that had gathered in her eyes this entire time had finally breached the surface of her lower eyelids and now ran freely down her cheeks. Her cold trembling hands immediately wiped the thin trail of water away from her face. What was happening? No, she actually didn't want to know! Whatever it was, she wanted it to stop! She turned around, and for a few moments considered dashing towards the house. She would not go through this night like this. At this rate, she was positive that by morning she wouldn't still be sane. Halloween was not far away, so maybe some kids decided to play some early tricks on her? Either way, she would not stand for it.

"Kagome, what on earth are you doing?" Kaede asked with exasperation. Truly, she didn't believe this night would be so difficult. She had kept walking through the forest, glad that soon they would reach the shrine, only to find that her granddaughter had not been following her. She knew how much Kagome disliked the duties of a priestess, but really, this was getting ridiculous.

"I-I want to check on my uncle...and make sure he doesn't miss the ceremony. We'll come back t-together," Kagome lied, but still hoped she could somehow go back inside the mansion. It was no secret that she was a terrible liar, and she just knew the stuttering would make it even worse. She couldn't help it though. Something was terribly wrong.

"There's no need. In fact, it's better if we get there before them so we can prepare for the ceremony. Come, Kagome," Kaede sternly ordered.

Kagome bit her lip, opening her stormy sapphire eyes to glare at the woman in front of her. Without further contemplation her body reacted of its own accord, much like it had done when carrying her out of the house, and now she found herself unable to stop her feet from pacing faster and faster. Soon her quickened pace turned into a sprint as the alluring feeling from before returned, only this time even stronger. She didn't know why, but despite her growing apprehension, her feet continued to run in the direction of the shrine as if an invisible force was pulling her to it, drawing her closer and closer until it proved impossible to escape. She felt like screaming, but no sound would leave her lips. The trees seemed to part for her, her eyes catching glimpses of how their shadowed branches seemed to form sadistic smiles. Kagome could hear her grandmother calling out to her but her voice barely reached her, the sound of her running footsteps too loud and forceful.

A wolf howl made her quicken her pace further, its long resonance vibrating through her very being, making her feel as if the beast that released it was right behind her, chasing her like a helpless prey. Then another howl came, stronger and deeper than before, as if the wolf had turned into something bigger, more ferocious. It sounded closer, almost as if the beast was but a few feet behind her, mocking her and toying with her, letting her run and exhaust herself, much to his thrill and pure enjoyment, so she would end up drained and unmoving, completely at his mercy.

"Leave me alone," she breathlessly yelled, her feet aching but still refusing to stop. She could feel something touch the back of her neck, only now it seemed more as if...something...or someone was _breathing _on her heated skin. The proximity of the action, along with the growls and howls that spelled a new and completely different meaning for fear, made her feel herself falling prey to panic. Only for a brief moment did she dare look back, and what she saw had her trigger a fresh set of tears to stain her ivory cheeks. A shadow, tall and massive, resembling a quadruped of some sort was savagely chasing her.

However, no more than a few minutes later did she come to a full stop, her body instantly dropping to her knees. The impact had been so sudden that her body instinctively leaned forward, causing her palms to rest flatly on the muddy ground as her eyes remained frantic and wide. The howling abruptly stopped, and so did the growling. But she could not bring herself to stay calm. As if all that has happened wasn't enough, yet another thing added on to her distress. In front of her, on the shrine's old dusty steps, were standing _**both **_her uncles._ 'Then who...who was inside my room?!' _her mind screamed at her.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Myoga asked, rushing over to his trembling niece.

"Did you see it? The wolf?!" she shakingly asked, not entirely sure what answer she was expecting to hear. Neither would do much to ease her state of mind. A 'yes' would turn her frightened state to one of frenzy, while a 'no' would be far worse.

"Wolf? Where?" Myoga asked, not quite understanding what his niece was mumbling about. She sure looked a far cry from being ready for this ceremony.

"He was chasing me! Didn't you hear the howling?!" she begged him to cooperate. Surely he couldn't say he didn't hear it! She was no fool! She had been living in a forest-covered land all her life and by now she could distinguish well animal sounds. Something had been chasing her back there.

"...why is this happening?" her sobbed whisper escaped her unfeeling lips, not having the strength to summon a stronger tone of voice. Her nails slowly dug into the lifeless ground, feeling its earthly texture and small rugged pebbles, as if merely touching it proved to her that she was here, that this was _real,_ that it was no dream.

"Kagome!" shouted her furious grandmother, now having caught up to her. "What is the meaning of this?" Enough was enough, the girl had far overstepped her boundaries.

"Calm yourself, Kaede. She just seems confused, that's all," Myoga rose as he gently dragged Kagome's unmoving body along with him. He decided against releasing her hands just yet, for he still couldn't understand why they were so cold and shaking as if she had been running for hours without gloves during a rough winter night. His most adored niece definitely did not act like herself tonight.

As for Kagome, her body felt numb. Shivers continued to wreck her limbs into a noticeable trembling dance, her heart racing with force. Her mind could not find rest, nor could she shake off the feeling she had felt ever since the preparations for this dreaded night have started. If before she could gradually distinguish what exactly was making her feel uneasy, now she could feel everything all at once; _**being watched, icy caresses, low howls**_. Her fear was so tangible she could taste its bitter aroma on her tongue.

Totosai carefully regarded Kagome. What a curious reaction the girl had. He had not expected this.

"Perhaps it would be wise for you to clean her up," he finally said, his eyes locking onto Kaede's tired ones, feeling it necessary to quicken the pace of their preparations.

"Come, Kagome," the elderly woman commanded, refusing to further reprimand the girl's behavior. She was obviously far too distracted to pay attention to her words regardless of what she chose to say. Had she known the girl would have so much trouble accommodating to an insignificant bit of spiritual awareness, she would have tried harder in teaching her how to deal with it. As Kagome had stated earlier though, she never gave signs of grasping the spiritual skills of a priestess. However, her behavior the entire night had been ridiculous. Ridiculous and worrisome. And the only explanation for it was that she could not take spiritual awareness as something natural, but as something threatening. Kaede could think of no appropriate way of proceeding with this without further frightening her granddaughter. Kagome needed to be calm and collected to be able to perform the ceremony, not a nervous wreck. And she was most likely not aware, but Kaede was even more anxious for this ceremony to end. It was best if it ended as soon as possible, for Kagome's sake.

With slow and measured footsteps, the short old woman led her beloved granddaughter into the ancient shrine, passing by the dark tiles palely illuminated by two torches. The shrine was bigger than the regular one people were used to seeing. It consisted of a narrow stairway of several steps at its entrance, and 4 pillars on the right, 4 pillars on the left that led to a not very generous wall against which rested the sacred altar. The middle pillars carried the aforementioned torches, their small but persistent fire only barely casting enough light for people to make out the neat detailed painting that rested right above the altar. A portrait, quite similar to the one Kaede had placed in Kagome's room, of Kikyo. Only this particular portrait was a much more detailed close-up.

The plain sound of dripping water was what had Kagome snap out of her momentary trance, indulging her a short moment to gain some much needed control over her body. She could not understand why her body seemed to listen to its own will rather than her own. Was it truly her unconscious fear of the unknown that was causing these morbid hallucinations, or was it simply something she was supposed to experience during this cursed ceremony?

It was strange really, she noted as if only now coming to the sudden relief-granting realization. Once she stepped foot inside the aging shrine_**, everything stopped**_. The howls that have made her curse relentlessly horror movies ceased their savagely rhythmical resonance and much to her happiness, no longer could she feel the impending caresses of her murderous stalker. Now, hidden within the safety of her Mother Priestess' shrine, she could feel no danger near her, as if this was the right place for her to be in. While her mansion seemed obscured and uninviting, giving off the promise of something unpleasant, the forest that surrounded and separated her home from the shrine was even more of an uninviting place.

The sound of dripping water had stopped, and she turned around to see her grandmother take the proper sitting posture in front of her, gesturing for her to do the same. Kagome nodded obediently, feeling more sense come to her by the minute. She refused to dwell on it more, she had all the time to do so tomorrow. Praised be the Heavens, whatever had happened tonight had stopped, and apparently would not happen again. However, everyone knew how grand a mistake it was to make assumptions. Had Kagome remembered that small bit of common knowledge, she would've refrained from blindly convincing herself that her current assumption was correct.

Her hands slowly descended, until the tips of her fingers lightly touched the clear surface of the water that had been poured into the white ceramic bowl in front of her. She took a moment to watch the small ripples battle with each other to reach the blunt walls faster only to clear again and give way to her small reflection, which illustrated her smiling in thorough relief. And smiling she was, for she knew that soon, it would all be over, and she could forget everything about this wretched ceremony.

She gingerly washed her hands of the dirt that had remained on her palms, and dried them with a soft white cloth, all the while intent on listening to her grandmother repeat the steps she had to perform during the ceremony. She had heard them already on numerous occasions, but had never really bothered to give them much thought or to memorize them. Now, however, she was doing her best in remembering everything, and strangely enough, it did not seem so difficult. Maybe her grandmother was right. Maybe even someone as spiritually unaware as her could do this.

An old grandfather's clock that had been placed into a small additional compartment connected to the shrine showed it was 11:50 PM. Soon it would be midnight. All too soon, she noted.

"My duty ends here, Kagome. Now everything is up to you," said Kaede with a gentle smile, glad to see her granddaughter had regained some color in her cheeks and looked much calmer than before. Perhaps she had been worrying over nothing.

"Alright," Kagome replied, her voice sounding much more confident than she thought it would. Ah, it felt so good to be herself again. She watched her grandmother step outside the shrine and gracefully kneel between her two uncles whom by now have already done the same to thus partake in what was said to be the most important event in a Nakamura priestess' life.

Kagome unconsciously reached out to tuck her raven tresses behind her ears, forgetting that they had been straightened and tied into a low ponytail as it was custom. Strangely enough, it was this small gesture that triggered her self-awareness. This was it and there was no turning back. She would have to perform well.

With a slow yet thoroughly deep inhale, her mind set and her lips pressed into a thin line, she willed her body to turn toward the sacred altar. Her knees gradually lowered until they rested upon the cold floor. Soon, her upper body followed, until she could press her palms to the smooth stony surface right above her head in a most respectful bow. Then, as she stood up, she glanced at the altar more attentively; Kikyo's portrait was indeed a detailed masterpiece, which even though old and undoubtedly much more faded than it had been in its primary days, still looked as though the ancient priestess would soon walk out of it. Such great painting accuracy, Kagome noted with curious admiration, as she took several steps closer to the altar. Underneath the portrait lied a low wooden table, but its unique feudal design was more than making up for it. Upon the table rested the bowl she had washed her hands in, fresh water having been poured into it again, and near it, the most sacred belongings of the Nakamura estate. Supported by a black, glazed wooden prop was a beautifully crafted bow, along with a matching arrow. They belonged to Kikyo and were believed to still carry her signature aura. Right beside them rested a most peculiar wooden prop which had the role of guarding a shining pink jewel, known as the Shikon no Tama. Now this, this was what truly held everyone's interest. It was the living proof that Kikyo's legend was wrongly named a 'legend'. This little item proved it to be real. It was believed that in it Kikyo had stored up her energy before her terrible death. That power had been passed down for 500 years to the Nakamura priestesses. Normally, one would not be able to tell if such a thing was true, but this jewel was different. The jewel _**glowed**_ constantly, and it had been doing so ever since it had been passed down. Even more peculiar was the _**way **_it glowed. It seemed as if there was some sort of substance within it that kept swirling non-rhythmically, sometimes emitting strange radiation sounds. Looking at it up close, one would truly believe it was alive.

But that was nonsense, Kagome knew.

Her stormy blue eyes rose to lock onto the lifeless hazel ones of her ancestor's portrait. Kagome scoffed.

"You might be beautiful, but I don't like you. I don't admire you! I never will. And I don't wanna be like you! I'm just doing this for my mother!"

She hadn't noticed, but as she lightly whispered her confession, her cheeks colored a darker shade of red, and her heartbeat increased as well, her ire getting the best of her.

"Just thought you should know that," she added in a muttered voice, glaring at the portrait. "Let's get this over with."

Her feet took one step back before she again commanded her body to lower into the customary bowing posture. Then, with practiced grace, she rose to defiantly stare into Kikyo's eyes. What strange expression she had in the portrait, Kagome noticed. Such a blank and monotone face, such lifeless eyes. It seemed as if her beautiful features did little to hide the –dare she say it- bitterness beneath them. Then again, perhaps Kikyo never had the intention of 'hiding' anything. If one was to judge by this sole portrait, Kikyo looked anything but approachable and companionable.

"And why would you be sad and unfulfilled? Didn't you get the fame and respect no one else had in your time?"

Really, Kagome had no idea why she whisper-conversed with a painting in the middle of a ceremony. Perhaps it was because no harm could come out of telling a portrait a word or two. Still, she felt a little sorry for making her ancestor unjustly take on her tantrums.

"But you understand, don't you?"

There was no answer.

"Well, of course not. And I too should follow your example and shut up once in a while, huh? Dad would've agreed big time, I'm sure."

Again she looked Kikyo in the eye.

"I'm kinda happy about one thing though. Apparently I take after you, and since everyone says you were beautiful, I guess that does mean I am quite pretty too?"

After bowing for a third time, Kagome straightened her back and brought her hands together in a silent prayer. So many things could've been the subject of her prayers, yet all she could pray for now was for everything to go back to normal. Or at least as close to it as possible.

The wind picked up again.

It was in that moment that her blood ran cold and her hands clasped tighter together. She forced herself to open her eyes, already feeling them water with fear, as she glanced right and left in panic. She could feel it, even clearer than the first time! _**She was being watched**_. And it wasn't her family that was doing it.

This couldn't be happening! Not again!

It felt as if someone was right behind her, surrounding her, terrorizing her. Her body would not move at her weak command, instead obeying its instinctual impulse to tremble. _**It**_ was there, unmoving, gradually increasing. It refused to leave. That dreaded feeling, or rather, that dreaded _**presence**_ that mercilessly haunted her.

"Kagome?" her grandmother called. Kaede couldn't really understand why for the past minutes her granddaughter had not done anything, but still, she could not afford to break her concentration.

"I-I'm fine," Kagome managed to announce, although she knew her voice hardly sounded as confident as it did just a few minutes ago. Was she truly losing her mind? Was this some sick dream of hers? It had to be, since she had never experienced such frequent mood swings before. Not to mention that she hardly had a reason to be this scared of anything. Damned be horror movies! If this was happening because she was outside, at almost midnight, in a freakish ancient shrine, during a freakish ancient ceremony, overreacting and imagining stupid things 'cause of horror movies, then damned be the entire movie industry!

Slowly, she brought her arms down to rest upon the wooden table. She truly didn't want to, but apparently she could go no longer without blinking. Instead of blinking the gathered liquid away, she only made it fall down her cheeks. Again, she dared glance to her right, then slowly to her left.

Nothing. No one.

All she could see were the palely illuminated pillars of the shrine, and beyond them nothing. Nothing but darkness. But whatever was watching her was there, hiding beyond the small sanctuary of the shrine. And it wouldn't go away. She exhaled slowly. She felt so helpless, so vulnerable. Whatever it was, she could not reason with it. It would not listen to her desperate pleas.

Her eyes snapped open, as a sudden realization came to her. Unlike in the forest, the beast did not get close to her during all this time. She felt no breathing, no strange caresses, no nothing. Only being watched.

Perhaps...perhaps continuing the ceremony within this shrine would offer her more safety? Would it make the beast go away? It was worth a try.

Her numb fingers gently reached out, slowly tracing the ancient bow laid out before her. With growing uncertainty, her hand moved to trace the ancient arrow, watching its black tip glisten in the light of the torches' dying flames. Lifting it up, Kagome held the arrow securely into her left hand while she placed her right one at the arrow's tip. Having succeeded in somewhat calming herself and ceasing her trembling to an acceptable degree, her index finger came to rest upon the pointy tip, and with just a small amount of pressure, her skin had been pierced. Her soft wince went unnoticed as she slowly placed the arrow back into its wooden prop.

Her head snapped back up, her mouth now slightly agape, as she stared straight into Kikyo's eyes. What sort of nonsense was this?

"You..."

But she couldn't voice her thoughts. This was insane. Of course Kikyo couldn't have _**blinked**_! It was a portrait for crying out loud!

Shaking her head to free herself of such ridiculous thoughts, she hurried on to the next task. Slowly, her right hand reached out toward the glowing Sacred Jewel. She pressed her bleeding finger upon its crystal-like surface, its cold texture soothing to her fresh injury. To her surprise, she felt the Jewel suck her blood, absorbing it from within. Up until now, she had only thought it a fairytale. Was this thing truly alive? Alive and storing up her ancestors' powers for so many generations?

She shook her head again. She hated this. Truly.

Kagome slowly removed her finger from the Jewel, noticing with bewilderment how her skin had somehow healed. Shaking her head to immediately dismiss the new thoughts of how insane this was, her hands slowly extended just above the glowing jewel, her eyelids lowering so she could whisper-chant her incantation without further distractions.

The skin of her tender palms started to warm up, her pores seeming to absorb the invisible energy emitted from the jewel. Such a strange feeling it was, yet not entirely uncomfortable. Her body accepted this new intrusion with ease. She felt overwhelmed and could not exactly understand what sort of sorcery this was. The world around her grew quiet as she no longer heard even the low howls of her frightening prowler.

Smiling to herself, she opened her eyes feeling stronger and more self-assured than she had ever felt before. Whether she felt this way because of the strange things the jewel did to her or because of the thought that she now had just one last thing to do and the ceremony would end, Kagome was glad that she was not as afraid anymore. Although she knew danger still lurked beyond the shrine's grounds, she would see this ceremony through. So far this decision seemed to work best for her after all.

The grandfather's clock announced midnight.

"It is time, Kagome!" Kaede said with marked determination.

With a firm nod, Kagome rose and urgently grasped the bow and arrow from the table. She had never used a weapon in her life, but her body seemed to know exactly what to do. The sounds of her stretching the bow penetrated the deep silence that befell upon them, her hand setting the arrow in place. She readied it to aim at the target placed on a tree nearby and with a deep inhale she announced:

"I, Kagome, claim my title as High Priestess of these lands!"

And with that she released the arrow, letting it pierce with speed the air, its tip glowing pink brighter and brighter until it finally hit dead center.

To say that Kagome was amazed was an understatement.

In all her life she would've never thought she'd see the day she fired her first purification arrow. It felt incredible. Exhilarating. Her smile rapidly turned into a grin of happiness. This night was over, so was the ceremony, and so was everything else as far as she was concerned. She clapped her hands together with enthusiasm, her eyes shut with joy. She felt like herself again. High-spirited. Bubbly. Cheerful. If only her mother could see her now!

Turning around to face her family members Kagome was confused at what she saw.

Kaede was staring wide-eyed at Kagome.

She would've never thought such a thing could happen. How, just how did Kagome shoot such a strong purification arrow? She was Kagome, always uninterested and unaware of spiritual practices, not gifted, lacking spiritual awareness completely. So how? Kaede didn't know what to make of this. In all her years she had never witnessed such a display of spiritual powers. While even her own purification arrow glowed with pink energy, it had never been this strong, not even when she was young.

Myoga stared in amazement at his niece. He too had not been expecting this. He had expected her to shoot her arrow, for it to glow a very faded pink and miss the target. But here they were, amazed at seeing the exact opposite happen. Perhaps their niece was born to bring this shrine the honor it rightfully deserved.

Totosai, for his part, had been somewhat expecting something like this to happen, but not to this extent. The girl was truly full of surprises.

"No 'congratulations'?" Kagome asked playfully with mocked hurt as she happily descended the stairs of the shrine to join them.

"Congratulations! Congratulations, Kagome! I'm so proud of you!" Kaede exclaimed. She truly rejoiced at seeing her granddaughter now bear the name of priestess so proudly. She brought Kagome into a tight hug, her old hands clutching onto the girl's shoulders as if to remind herself that finally Kagome was no longer in danger. Far from it, actually. Praised be the Heavens, this ceremony ended far better than any of them thought it would.

"Kagome, you were amazing! Your mother would be more than proud!" Myoga said as he too embraced his niece, happy to see her fulfilling the role she had been born to take.

"You've done well and have more than proven your worth, Kagome," said Totosai, bowing in the traditional manner one would bow to a priest or priestess.

Kagome bowed in return, feeling relief like never before. It felt as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. In all honesty she now began to think that her grandmother had been right, that being a priestess was part of a Nakamura's life, that it completes them.

"Can we go back now? I'm so tired," Kagome admitted with a small yawn. This night had truly taken a lot out of her, but from what she could tell, praised be Kami, whenever she looked around herself she could no longer detect anything worth fretting over. The night seemed peaceful and not as dark. It made sleep seem like something euphoric to her.

"Of course, dear," Kaede said.

* * *

A cheerful hum was what could be heard from Kagome's room. The air inside her small chamber was a little warm, for it carried traces of humidity that her hot shower had emitted through the crack left by her slightly opened bathroom door. Kagome felt refreshed. She would not lie, she truly felt weary of entering her room at first. Despite her mind being put at ease by the fact that no strange occurrence could be noted as she headed back inside her home, Kagome was still not ready to put everything that had happened behind her. On their way inside the house, she tried talking once again to her grandmother about what was worrying her, but Kaede explained patiently that it was her newfound spiritual awareness that was playing little tricks on her, and that it was possible that she perceived spiritual awareness as something threatening. It did make sense, but it could still not explain everything. Still, Kaede had much spiritual experience, so if she was not worried, Kagome would not be either.

The first thing she did when she entered her room was to immediately turn on the light. Her eyes quickly scanned the familiar surroundings but found nothing worth fretting over. Everything seemed to be in place. She couldn't detect anything strange, and after the entire ordeal of a ceremony, she knew she would be able to feel if something was wrong. And so, with a long sigh of relief, she took a shower and was now standing in front of her beautiful large mirror –a gift from her mother- gently combing through her damp raven tresses. She couldn't be happier that everything was over and that life would take its normal course starting tomorrow. Well, starting today, since it was already past midnight. As her hands gracefully raised her comb to bring it down on her soft locks, Kagome's gaze locked onto the portrait that rested right beside the mirror. She forgot her grandmother put it there.

The more she looked, the more she realized how much alike they actually looked. Yet now, with her body clad in her light sleeping gown and her hair gradually regaining its wavy curls, the differences between her and Kikyo became more noticeable. Not to mention that Kikyo's skin tone bordered an unhealthy shade of white while Kagome's was ivory, bearing a light tan. She loved the beach. The most visible difference remained their eye color: Kagome's was a beautiful deep blue color, whereas Kikyo's was a chocolate brown.

Kagome was content.

If it were anyone else, perhaps it would have been frustrating to see your own ancestor better-looking than yourself. As silly as it sounded, it wasn't impossible. It was only natural to want to be at least as good as your predecessor, even in the beauty department. Still, Kagome did not feel that way.

Even though many wish it otherwise, physical appearance is what meets the eye first, and many stop from looking further.

However, her gentle mother had explained that no matter what she may lack physically, she may compensate through her personality. Kagome took this to heart and learned to live her life content with who she was, and determined never to try to be anyone else. She was thankful for her kind mother who had always strived to teach her children compassion and care, and she was thankful for her father, who had taught them to live with pride and dignity.

Her head lowered, the tips of her damp hair tickling her bare arms. Her lips quivered a bit, but she refused to let liquid gather behind her closed eyelids. She would not cry. But Kami, she missed them! Briefly glancing once again at Kikyo, Kagome smiled. All in all, she had a great family and she was thankful for it.

A small clatter resonated softly as Kagome placed the comb upon the mahogany surface of her nightstand. She was free to do as she pleased now and she couldn't be happier. For the sake of her mother, her father and her younger brother, she would live happily and try to make them proud.

Making a move to stand up, Kagome tucked a few wet strands of hair behind her delicate ears. She abruptly stopped midway, her eyes snapping to stare at the mirror. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she did her best ignore her shocked reflection, instead focusing on what was behind her. Only a few feet behind her, standing there, unmoving, was a dark shadow, looming over her with the intention to somehow encompass her. She could feel the tears coming faster than before, her body visibly quivering as she just prayed for it to leave.

"What…what do you want from me?", came her soft whisper, her voice drowned in anguish. How could this continue?! Why did it continue?!

"Please!" she screamed with desperation, her trembling fingers grasping onto the only object close enough to use as some sort of defense: her small comb. Her tears fell at the hopelessness of her situation once the cool wooden surface of said object came in touch with the now sweaty skin of her palm.

Raising her panicked eyes at the mirror, her breath hitched.

She couldn't see the shadow.

Her head immediately whipped around, frantically searching the room for the presence she had unmistakably seen a few moments ago.

Any normal person would've probably run the hell away from that room, and frankly speaking she did not even comprehend why she was still inside.

She was going crazy!

Standing up on wobbly legs, she took a few steps away from the mirror, unconsciously testing the surroundings. She still felt unsafe. The fact that she could not see her nocturnal stalker did little to ease her mind, it actually had the opposite effect. She could feel him. Wiping furiously at her eyes, she let her body fall slightly backwards, making a sound close to a thud as it unceremoniously hit the wall. Still, the moment she let herself slide down the 'wall' she noted that whatever she was sliding on had a different texture than the wall itself. She glanced back from the corner of her eyes, noting how she had once again forgotten about the portrait and was now literally sliding her back against it.

However, at paying closer attention, Kagome could not help but scream!

_'No, no! This can't be! Why…why is she looking the other way?!'_

Moments ago, Kikyo's eyes were looking _**left**_, but now they were looking _**right**_!

The tears flowed more freely now. She needed help! She truly did!

Clutching tightly at her nightgown, Kagome's eyes slowly looked in the direction Kikyo's eyes were.

She felt sick!

There, at the window -where a while ago she could've sworn she saw a silhouette- she now saw it again, the silhouette's outline visible behind the curtain, almost as if someone was playing hide-and-seek and chose to hide behind it. And just before she could take a step backwards to simply escape whatever was tormenting her-

_HIT_

The last thing her weakened mind remembered was something hard hitting the back of her neck, her vision gradually blurring until it became a mind-numbing black, causing her fragile self to fade into most welcomed unconsciousness. '_Someone…please help me…'_

* * *

He had almost been too late. It would have been disastrous had the girl managed to sense more than she already had. It would have been disastrous for him as well, no doubt. Nevertheless, in the end his mission had been quite successful and he could finally report to his master to give him the positive response he had been waiting for all these years. Totosai stared at the unmoving girl before him, letting the small dagger slide away from his hand to lifelessly impale itself into the wooden floor. He had used the back of the dagger to hit the girl, but apparently the hit may have been a little too hard.

His wrinkled face wore a blank expression, his eyes cold as he regarded her young form. He could not understand how such a fragile human was destined to weild such power, nor could he understand how she would ever be able to withstand it all.

A small step and he was right next to her, his body moving to gather hers in his arms so he could begin preparations for their departure. The girl was in a weak condition, she would be weakened even further if they traveled right away, so he surmised that it would be wise to take her to a hospital and ask that the girl be taken care of until she was fit to travel once again. He knew her exhaustion ran both physically and mentally, but he had befriended a few doctors of this era. Having the girl secretly hospitalized would not be such a hard thing to do. After all, Totosai wanted to present the girl to his master when she was well-rested and able to fulfill whatever he had in store for her.

A strong gust of wind had the windows open violently, the curtains mercilessly being ripped away as the hidden silhouette that tormented the girl took a step forward toward the old man and the now unconscious priestess.

Old orbs widened at the sight before him, shame filling his very being, for he had not noticed that the presence inside the room was not that of a mere goblin. The bow in which Totosai had forced his body into was a far cry from elegant and respectful, given the fact that the young female kept him from bending to the extent that was custom for the gesture. He tried to apologize to the best of his abilities, yet it was no secret that Totosai was by no means a smooth-talker. Still, the old sword smith had done his job well, and for that the menacing aura that now surrounded the tall shadow refrained for harming the ever-faithful subordinate. Instead, rich golden orbs settled upon the slumbering form of the priestess who had awakened her blood but a few minutes ago in the ancient shrine of his enemies. One would've undoubtedly expected the Nakamura spiritual power to be hosted by a strong, broad body, preferably that of a male. Yet here she was, a woman-child that had barely reached adulthood holding the very power he had need of. But perhaps the Kamis took into consideration the dire times of the past. This way the girl would be easy to tame, her power easy to manipulate. She finally reached the stage in which he could make good use of her. He had waited long enough. There would be no further delay.

"Bring her to me," his low, baritone voice penetrated the thick silence.

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

"Kagome!" Kaede yelled, bursting through the door leading to Kagome's room. Her granddaughter's scream disturbed her dreamless sleep, but, alas, her old legs could not carry her any faster. Why did she not listen to her instincts and stay by the girl? Spiritual awareness was still so new to her, she was bound to have troubled sleep. But once inside the room, Kaede dropped to her knees.

The bed was untouched, the light was not dimmed the way Kagome liked to dim it before she went to sleep, and the mirror was broken. But most importantly, there was no sign of Kagome!

Kaede urged her body to carry her further inside the room. Surely this could not be happening!

But then she noticed something that had her blood run cold.

It was not the widely open windows that had caught her attention.

It was the portrait.

There was no doubt.

Kikyo was _**smiling**_.

* * *

Kagome's body hurt. But most importantly, her head throbbed furiously, making her cringe and wince every time a protruding 'throb' resonated through her skull. Silencing her raging thoughts seemed like the most impossible feat at the moment. They appeared to be of nothing and of everything at the same time. She recognized this confusion as her trying to recall what had happened to bring her into such a deplorable state. Ah, a hit to the head. Yes, she could remember that! It had hurt so much that all she could remember afterward was darkness.

Inhaling deeply, she tried her best to lose focus of the chaos inside her mind and focus more on the outside world. Once she fully became conscious, she could deal better with her horrifying headache. The more she concentrated, the more she could feel her senses coming back to her.

Cold, she was cold.

Moments later, she could faintly distinguish the sound of small chatter. People, there were people around her.

A particular harsh 'throb' had her want to move her hand to clutch her forehead, and she would have too, had she been able to. The feeling of ropes immediately registered inside her mind, now having a whole different reason to blame the numbness of her limbs on. Panic was slowly rising within her.

She was _tied._

She was _cold._

She was _blindfolded._

She was _gagged._

She heard _voices._

She could feel her body being _moved._

They were _carrying_ her.

Her ire got the best of her. It was too much for anyone to bear. First the ceremony, then a hit to the head, and now this! As far as she knew she was guilty of nothing serious! She refused to let this go on! If it was just a bad dream, then she would show her sick subconscious how fond she was of this twisted nightmare! And so her body wiggled with as much force as she could muster while she did her best to ignore how much the headache intensified because of her actions.

Her captor stilled at feeling her movement. It was perfect timing as far as he was concerned. They arrived at their destination and were she still asleep, he would have been forced to wake her up in a more unpleasant manner.

The darkness outside had concealed their bodies well, the kidnapper having made sure that no one followed them as they descended the old steps to the ancient well. His sensitive nose was repulsed by the stench of dirt, dust and rust, but since this small ancient chamber held so many artifacts, it gave him a strange sense of home.

Once beside the mystical fountain, he released the girl on shaky legs. His hand grasped onto the dagger he always carried with him and sliced away the ropes that have been wrapped a little too tightly against her milky skin, leaving angry red marks across it.

Kagome was well aware of what he was doing, and once her body was free to move, her hands came up, one to grab the blindfold, and the other to remove her gag, but before she could even scream the name of her kidnapper, said man pushed forcefully against her sternum, making her fall backward. Her mind slowly registered touching the edge of something, before losing balance and falling into a seemingly endless pit. She screamed then, but the echo of her desperate tone didn't seem to reach the surface as she kept falling and falling. Her arms embraced her cold torso as she sobbed, her fear-stricken eyes noting how a strange blue light engulfed her, before her feet finally touched solid ground.

She panted harshly, falling to her knees.

What happened?

What was this?

She shook her head, biting on her bottom lip to keep from crying louder than she already was. Really, she was pathetic. Her small fingers absently caressed the dark muddy ground, desperately trying to make sense of everything, until they touched something smooth. Curiously, she inched a little closer, her slender digits digging into the ground to pull the object that had captured her attention.

She yelped with shock, scooting as far away from that thing as she could. It was a _**bone**_! A large, twisted, freaking bone!

Her back suddenly hit something hard.

Turning around, imagine her surprise when she came face to face with a wall. Where the hell was she?

Looking up, her face brightened at seeing something that for the first time this dreadful night gave her a small flicker of hope. She could see the sky with its rich blue depth darkened by the late night hour, the full moon and stars illuminating it in such a tender manner that a poet would kill for the inspiration this beautiful, refreshing sight offered. Wherever this place was, up there was the certain exit and she would more than gladly get to it. If only Kagome learned from her previous ordeals how bad of a decision it was to make assumptions, she would've been spared of many things to come. Yet as most people, it took more than just a few ordeals to learn a valuable lesson such as this one.

With her hands now touching the cold and slimy brick wall, she grasped onto a large vine. To her small satisfaction, she noted how these sort of vines seemed to latch onto the wall's entire surface, which definitely made it a lot easier to climb up. Thank goodness, she would get out without much difficulty. Gripping firmly each vine that she could reach, she slowly but steadily made her way up.

Her mind was in an endless turmoil, her confusion bordering madness. Perhaps she had not seen right. No, that wasn't it. She had seen right. Everything she had seen the entire night had been as real as her. She didn't know why the others could not see or feel what she did, but it didn't matter anymore. She knew she was right. So why, why did uncle Totosai do this to her? It didn't even look like him. Yes, his physical appearance was identical, but even though her uncle was a stern teacher, he had always been very kind to her. The look he had given her before he pushed her was the coldest she had ever seen him give anyone.

Her head hurt. Whether it was from the blow it received or from thinking too much, she did not know. All she knew was that in a few moments she would escape this pit and be free to leave this dreaded place. A person could only take so much emotional strain.

But soon, things took a turn for the worst.

The moment her arm raised right above the edge of the 'pit', someone roughly grabbed her and pulled her up.

Kagome barely had time to notice tall men surrounding her, all of them wearing some sort of heavy-looking metal armor, for her attention had been pulled to the one person that dragged her over the edge of her previous 'prison'. She was petrified. Red eyes burned into her own, their gaze so menacing it took everything she had not to look away and scream in his face. His skin had a blue-ish tone, and before she could even begin to fret over how scaly it felt, her hands had been tied behind her back in a painful tight hold, her body unceremoniously hoisted up and on the man's shoulder.

"Let me go!" she yelled with savage fear, her legs kicking at him with all her might. The phantasmal-looking soldier merely grunted at her pitiful outburst, letting the claws that held her pinned to his shoulder dig into her skin with enough force to draw a little blood.

"Someone! Help me!"

"Silence, human filth! You belong to Lord Sesshomaru now!"


	2. Chapter 2

Some believed that crickets were good luck, an indisputable sign that the days to come would be merrier than the last. Her grandmother had taught her this the very first time her 3-year-old innocent self became conscious of the curious little insects around their garden. Tonight, it was that precise childish belief that brought a small smile to Kagome's face when the sound of their singing reached her ears. One would be surprised how believable such a myth seemed when the situation proved dire enough. A small sigh unconsciously escaped her lips when their owner parted them in wonder, her eyes lingering on her surroundings.

It was still so very dark outside, but despite having walked barefooted a long way, her legs did not give any signs of protest, nor did her slender body quiver too visibly from the cool night air whipping against her through her soft nightgown. Instead, she enjoyed the surprisingly peaceful scenery; they were soundlessly passing through a quiet village surrounded by mountain forests. Closing her eyes to take a deep inhale, she could feel the pleasant sensation of her lungs filling with fresh air. When was the last time her lungs got a treat of such pure oxygen?

Weary cerulean orbs latched their suspicious gaze onto the back of the 'man' walking in front of her. Half an hour ago, his appearance had wreaked havoc inside her already weakened mind, for she was sure that this being in front of her had every intention to hurt her. As minutes passed by, she had been proven thoroughly wrong. General Masato, as she had come to learn his name due to several of the other unnamed men addressing him, had not done a single thing to harm her. All with the exception of the stinging insult he had blatantly thrown at her during the first moments of their encounter.

'_Human filth._' His words had seemed so venomous, so full of hate and loathing that her mind still hurt at recalling them. Without a doubt, this was the first time someone spoke to Kagome as if she had done them injustice, as if she was guilty of the most hideous of crimes. It was truly the first time she was treated with harshness she only believed felons worthy of. It made her wonder what exactly these beings believed her guilty of. Had she truly done something wrong? Was that why she was being kidnapped by these soldiers? Or maybe she was being confused with someone else? And yet, the few words that the general had spoken to her later on lacked the fiendish tone that so cruelly etched itself inside her brain. She did not know what to believe of this 'man'.

Her tender hand came to rest upon her chest. At least her racing heart had somewhat calmed down, for it had taken everything her fragile mind had to latch onto the small string keeping her binded to sanity, before she succumbed to the turbulent pits of her mind. No one could possibly blame her. So many things had happened in such a short span of time.

With an inaudible gulp, her darkened irises took in for the countless time the appearance of her captors. The more she analyzed every aspect of their being, of their clothing –or rather, of their armor-, of their behavior, the more she found truth in the general's words. _'You have traveled through time, priestess.'_ She shook her head. Of course she would deny it, any rational person would. Such things weren't possible. Even the most gifted of scientists has yet to discover the secret of time travel, so how could she possibly believe that a man –most specifically her uncle- knew of this and sent her to a time where apparitional beings took her hostage? It wasn't possible!

And yet, here she was, and given said circumstances, her rational side advised to quickly come to terms with how things were. In the end, her main goal was to return from where she had come from, without further worsening her current predicament. Easier said than done. However, for this simple, yet incredibly hard plan to be put in motion, she did what most people did in her situation, with no regards to the fact that the soldiers escorting her must have already dealt with this kind of thing numerous times before during their warrior lives and would not be fooled by the petty charade a scared little girl would pull off.

Still, it was the best course of action for her to take, all things considered, so Kagome quickened her footsteps until she fell in pace beside the intimidating general.

Masato watched her curiously. How fitting that a human who had no knowledge of demons would scream less than those of _this time_ who saw them _daily_. Without a doubt, he was well aware of what the girl was trying to do. He would say 'ingenious' had this not been the aforementioned strategy the more 'intelligent' lot of the prisoners took. He was well acquainted with how a captive would try to escape and –as was expected- the girl chose to play obedient. He would let her. The journey would prove much more bearable this way. She managed to keep the trembling of her body to a very low degree, he would commend her effort for that. If truth be told, he had not expected this human girl to be so deadly frightened by his appearance. Perhaps he had forgotten in those moments that this was the first time she laid eyes on a representative of the superior species walking the Earth. Bearing that in mind, he could overlook her loud reaction. His crimson orbs swiftly took in the peculiar, yet undeniably familiar physical appearance of the girl. She was a petite one even among humans, he could tell. Her facial features were pleasant enough. Granted, they were not as striking as those of her ancestor, but still fetching for a human. Of course, what had truly caught his attention were her eyes that at this very moment were trying to face him, but whenever they met his scrutinizing gaze, they would look away in fright. Even among demons, blue-colored eyes were rare. For a human of her lineage to have them, that was even more of a rarity. An oddity, really.

"Speak, girl."

He would permit her to speak. After all, he could see how she tried to form words but was most likely terrified of angering him should she speak without permission. How perceptive of her. He would indulge her this once, if only for a little amusement. What could this human girl possibly have to say to him?

"Thank you."

His inquiring eyes turned to her then, but his expression gave no other indication that he had not expected her to say those words. Gratitude? Was that was this human was trying to convey to him? He must have heard wrong.

"For letting me walk, I mean," she explained, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly upward with self pride at not stuttering as she so feared she would.

Ah, yes. He had let her walk. He had thought that request of hers to be an odd one, as most prisoners, human or not, would not desire to walk in such a situation. It was mainly because asking to walk when your enemies desire to keep you hostage may come as a challenge toward them. It was similar to sending them an indirect message of your intention to flee or defeat them. Many a captors would easily lose their temper and decapitate their reckless prisoners for daring insinuate something like this, Masato himself having done that to many prisoners of war, for he could clearly see in their eyes that they believed themselves far superior to him and his subordinates. He despised groundless arrogance just as much as he despised evident weakness. But Masato was not the Commander in chief of the Western army for nothing. He had studied the girl the moment her request had reached his keen pointed ears. Her aura was calm, her fear still tangible, but there was no trace of malice or mischief to taint her pure presence. It was in that moment that he actually took the time to notice the fluctuation of the girl's feelings. She could not mask her aura as skilled priests could, so she was even easier to read than an opened book. He was surprised, to say the least. The more his own demonic aura came in contact with her pure one, the more of her he could sense. It was as if with every single spark of energy that undoubtedly went unnoticed by her untrained body, she would convey her most inner musings to him. And Masato was truly surprised by the stormy sensations he could feel coming from the small woman who at that time was still perched up upon his shoulder. Her aura was as pure as that of a child. Warm, untouched, untainted, tender. It almost seemed to make her glow. How unusual. How tempting.

At first, he had intended to deny the girl the right to walk on her own, even considering striking her for good measure. Her kind was always too stubborn for his liking. But the more her aura touched his, the more he could feel such ill-willed thoughts leave him. And so, he had let her down, unbound her hands, and walked in front of her, his subordinates forming a circle around her to block all escape routes should his decision to let her walk backfire.

Seeing that he wasn't about to respond to her words, Kagome focused on the road ahead of them. Really, she was grateful. At this point she was grateful for every little thing that she was allowed to do. She would not lose hope, it really wasn't in her nature. If there was one thing Kagome would not change about herself, it would be this: the fact that she was able to quickly find something good and hopeful in order to strive for something better. She had her grandmother to thank for that.

She had given her current predicament much, much thought, and after thorough consideration, she had come to the following conclusions: **she was not going insane**, thank Kami for that. From what she could gather, these strange apparitions were somehow responsible for what she had experienced up until now –if the fact that their presence reminded her so well of the presence that had haunted her during the ceremony was any indication; **she was far away from home** –believing in time travel proved difficult even with all the evidence her surroundings provided her with, so she resorted to just think of this as being somewhere far away from home; **she needed to find out what they wanted from her** –obviously someone believed that she was useful for something, otherwise she would've not been kidnapped- so if she found out what they wanted, she could try and give them that as fast as possible and maybe then she could leave; **these beings hated her** –for whatever reason, they loathed her for belonging to the human species. This somehow brought about the very thing she had wanted to ask this general ever since he had let her walk.

"...what are you?"

Her soft voice came out barely above a whisper, and Masato could tell that she was getting ready to repeat her question, for she undoubtedly believed he had not heard her. He cut her off before she could do so, the girl would soon learn how superior their senses were compared to those of a mere human.

"Demons."

Kagome stared at him. Had she heard right?

"No, that's not possible..."

Masato was amused indeed. He had yet to meet someone who would deny the existence of creatures such as he.

"Are you not a priestess?"

Kagome nodded with uncertainty. "I am, but-"

"Then have you not been taught of your sworn enemies?"

"Demons do not exist!"

Masato regarded her coldly, his amusement gone. Oblivious to their existence or not, the girl would not be allowed to further insult them with her delusional denial. He could also sense how his soldiers' auras were reacting in kind, not at all pleased with the girl's words.

Kagome fought off goose-bumps, her hands coming up to rub her cold arms. She could feel harsh chills coursing rapidly through her body, her steps not as steady anymore as her fear grew in proportion. For some reason, her heart sped up as once again she felt herself surrounded by the presence of danger.

The general had immediately noticed the harsh tensing of the priestess's body. He was well aware that priests could sense the rise in demonic auras, but this girl had only become a priestess a little over an hour ago. Her body's response was too accurate for someone as inexperienced as her. Still, there was no other explanation for it.

"You feel it, don't you?" his rough tone demanded. "Our auras, our murderous intent, you can feel them. Make no mistake, _human_, you have no privileges among us."

How she would've retorted to his remark! Oh, how she would've let him know just what she believed of their treatment of her! She might've even said something too, had it not been for how her body seemed to lock her anger deep within her and not let it out. She still felt a nagging feeling that something wasn't right! The murderous intent the general spoke of seemed to decrease once he reprimanded her, the guards pleased that the prisoner had been shown her place, but the danger continued to linger far more noticeably than before. Her body continued to quiver, and her fear refused to disappear. Her body's reaction was keeping her from verbally lashing out to express her disapproval regarding the General's behavior. Frankly speaking, it was a good thing too. Kagome did not know it yet and that was understandable, really. Her state of mind was weak, and even though she had come to a definite resolve regarding her situation, her mind was still under great emotional strain. She couldn't exactly grasp the gravity of her predicament. Not entirely at least. But even though she did not know it yet, further angering a high-leveled demon such as the one walking next to her wasn't a wise move. More importantly, however, was the fact that with each step she took, her apprehension grew. Something was terribly wrong! It was as if her instincts were screaming at her to beware, to take cover, to watch out!

Blinking rapidly, Kagome let her eyes slightly glance behind her, forcing herself not to sob at the appearance of the soldiers. They had a humanoid appearance, yes, but they had more than a few animalistic traits about them. Still, the feeling of impending danger grew to a worrying degree, until she was certain of one thing.

Fighting against her thoughts of how risky her action was, for her fear now bordered terror, she could not help her hands reaching out to tightly clutch onto the much larger, metal-covered arm of the general.

"We're in danger..."

Her frightened whisper had Masato snap his irritated gaze toward the young child who so helplessly grabbed onto his arm, holding it so tight as if it actually offered her a strange sort of protection.

"Nonsense. There are no enemies around," was his prompt answer. The area they were passing through had been thoroughly inspected beforehand. No enemies were anywhere near their location. Also, his keen senses did not detect any foreign aura. He had no idea what trick the girl was trying to pull off, but he was done indulging her.

"Someone wants to kill us, don't you see?! I can _feel_it!" Kagome desperately pleaded. Bile started forming within her at how sick and tangible the killing intent felt to her now. It was just like during the ceremony! She could feel it coming! She knew better than to ignore this feeling!

"Cease your-"

"Behind you!" Kagome screamed.

It was worse than during the ceremony. This time the presence was too close, and too strong. It allowed her to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from, even though the presence did not take the form of a dark shadow.

The sharp noise of metal hitting metal had her head snap behind her.

The sight horrified her. Her frozen mind managed to conjure the fact that the general had immediately reacted to her words and managed to block the sword hit that would have most likely gravely injured him, if not actually kill him. Instead, the general's own sword pierced the abdomen of his unexpected opponent, leaving both her and the others to stare in shock. The one who had initiated the attack was none other than the soldier walking right behind Kagome. Masato swiftly moved, executing a series of precise blows, and efficiently knocking away the sword from the soldier's hand, thus removing his own weapon from the demon's flesh with a harsh tearing sound. The other warriors were speechless at what had happened, moving to quickly immobilize their defeated comrade. He was not dead, they knew, but seeing as the general wasted no time in pressing the well-known pressure points to have him unconscious for the rest of the journey, they knew what awaited their fallen fighter. Judging by the wound their general gave him, he would survive until they reached the castle. Just enough until he would be interrogated. If he would not die during said interrogation, then he would most likely be executed once it ended.

"Scout the area," Masato ordered. He needed to make sure there truly was no one in sight. Whatever had made this happen, it seemed the enemy had somehow managed to slip through his defenses. It gave him a clue as to whom might be able to carry out such a feat, yet he would refrain from making groundless assumptions. His lord needed to be notified immediately of this recent turn of events.

With high jumps, each one in a different direction, the remaining soldiers quickly moved to carry out their superior's command.

Masato turned to face the shocked priestess.

"What else do you sense, girl?"

There was no logical explanation for her abnormal spiritual awareness, but now Masato needed to make sure.

"Nothing. It's gone," Kagome said with a slight nod.

Her knees gave in under her, letting her slowly fall to the ground, her bare legs resting onto the soft grass. She really needed to catch her breath. For some reason, she felt devoid of her usual energy, and too weak to stand up straight.

This was proof enough for Masato. Of course such a thing would wear her off, her body was still unaccustomed to the strain using such an extent of spiritual awareness required. It appeared she would not be able to walk after all.

"How did you manage to foretell the attack?"

His question had Kagome stare at him strangely. Wasn't _he_ the one who had a more extensive knowledge of priests? Surely he could understand what had happened much better than she could. Kami knew she honestly had no idea what really occurred back there.

"I don't know..."

The general narrowed his eyes, despite having not detected any lies in her tone.

"What had you scream so suddenly that danger was upon us?" He tried again in an attempt to give her a clue as to what she might be searching for to give a more proper answer.

Kagome was deep in thought. What, indeed.

"I felt the...murderous intent coming from all of you," she began with marked uncertainty. "Once you've let me know I'm _worthless_, it died down a bit. But not completely...I could feel a different kind of killing intent coming. When it kept growing I could tell it was behind us."

Although she truly owed him nothing, Kagome felt like smacking herself. Really? _Really?!_ Even _she_ couldn't make anything of that poor excuse of an explanation. Maybe she wasn't so sane after all. Still, it was the best that she could give.

The angry glare she had so shamelessly thrown at him when she uttered the word 'worthless' did not go unnoticed by the piercing eyes of the commander, yet her explanation had more than confirmed his suspicions, and so he left the girl to her thoughts. The young female was more valuable than they previously believed. At this rate, the war would end in their favor.

"You truly are _her_ descendant," the general's low voice penetrated her thoughts.

Confused azure eyes turned to regard his daunting face. Here, from her position on the ground, this _demon_ seemed so much more imposing, so much more authoritative, and oh, so much dourer, that her initial fear of him was renewed. The more she looked at him, and the more used she got used to his overwhelming presence, the more fearful and uncertain she got of her future here. Escaping from such creatures…it seemed so very unattainable.

"Priestess Kikyo?" Kagome softly implied. It wasn't hard making the connection. "You know of her?"

"Of course," the general's voice turned grim. "She only died several months ago."

* * *

"Is this the girl?" a most irritating squeaky voice demanded. The night had barely begun and yet the garrison that the Western Lord dispatched in the morning already returned, having successfully managed to retrieve their futuristic prisoner. This, however, did not sit well with the imp that moments ago, instead of properly commending the safe return of the soldiers, only paid attention to the much-too-young slumbering female on the back of his master's two-headed dragon, Ah Un.

They were at the grand front gates of the castle walls, and Masato and his soldiers all but ignored the rash inquiry of the toad imp and hastily made the necessary preparations to enter the imperial grounds. They could not afford to keep the priestess outside the castle's barrier a moment longer.

Upon the firm nudging that the general gave their goldenly embroidered reins, the dragon paced in front of the large garrison so that it could first encounter the demonically enchanted walls that served as pillars for the fortified barrier. Being Lord Sesshomaru's personal 'steed', the two-headed creature carried his master's royal pendant that served as way of communication between him and the Western Lord. Once the crescent pendant glowed an eerie green, and the unmistakable sinister aura of their supreme ruler hurriedly leaked through it and surrounded both the dragon and the unconscious captive, the barrier allowed them to enter.

The general and his subordinates acted in kind, flaring their auras for the barrier to recognize their respective signatures. As expected, they could all pass the large gates, the ancient brick structure of the thick walls still standing as firmly and as proudly as the day they were first built.

"Now wait just a moment, general!" screeched the green imp following behind them.

"Counselor Jaken, I must report to my lord immediately. Please announce my arrival."

Masato had no time for more protocol. Things had not gone precisely according to plan, his report demanded the immediate attention of the Western ruler.

"Lord Sesshomaru has awakened the moment you summoned his dragon, general," informed Jaken. "Milord's chamberlain will announce you."

"Very well."

"General Masato!"

The blue-skinned general turned to face the soldier who called for him, and once he gave him a nod to signal that he was allowed to speak, the soldier continued.

"What should we do with the prisoner?"

Masato was not sure. Of course, his lord made preparations for the girl's arrival but he was certain her chambers were not yet ready. Not entirely at least. The room she would be staying in needed a powerful seal to keep her spiritual powers at bay, and once he let his senses reach out, Masato could easily tell that the seer they had asked to do the job was still within the castle grounds. No doubt, the girl's chambers were not ready yet.

"Give her to me," he finally said.

Nodding, the soldier moved toward the dragon and easily lifted up the young female, before placing her into the arms of his superior. Then, with a short bow, followed by his fellow comrades, they all left for their homes. If they were lucky, with the girl's arrival, their lord would not request they train so diligently. They were already strong enough and rumored to be the best fighters among all the surrounding lands. However, they doubted such a thing would happen, both because of their lord's ambitious nature and because of their own demon pride. So in the end, their main reason for heading home so quickly was to catch a few more hours of rest before their morning training requested their early presence.

* * *

The sound of heavy footsteps disturbed the eerie silence as dark boots stealthily trudged upon the refined marble floor of the corridor which held the imperial sleeping chambers. There was no one inside the grand study, so Masato figured that his lord had yet to leave his personal quarters. Passing by many doors that displayed an elegant reddish brown coated by a golden luster, it was the grand pair of white oak doors that imposingly stood out in the center of the hall. The tiger demon that served as the lord's chamberlain bowed to the general and moved to announce his arrival, but right before he could do so, the heavy doors opened.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Masato greeted with a most respectful bow.

Clad in a black sleeping yukata, Sesshomaru gave a light nod of acknowledgement to his commander in chief before dismissing his chamberlain for the night. Although many weeks have passed since the last time he had allowed his body and mind to rest, he would not be sleeping tonight. Granted, since things were taking all the right turns and were still so very beneficial to him, sleep seemed but a meaningless bother in the face of all this.

After sparing an impassive glance at the small figure lying so innocently in his subject's arms, the Western lord silently turned around, heading straight for his personal library, the general following closely behind. Privacy, above all else, was of great value, and the disclosure of military and political affairs to maids and castle servants was something to be avoided. These sort of matters were his own. And so, aside from his bedchambers, the library was the most secluded area in the West wing of the castle.

Wordlessly following the much larger form of his silver-haired ruler, Masato's crimson eyes casted their gaze upon the sleeping girl, noting with approval how her slumber was still as deep as it had been for the past few hours. She never even stirred or made a sound. It strangely reminded him of a small pup who despite fervent protests went to sleep immediately once he closed his eyes. In essence, that was all this human was to them, age-wise. A pup, not even over two decades, whereas their own years reached over quite a few centuries. Such irony that creatures such as they deemed useful the power of a young being such as her.

Sensing the approach of the dog demon's unmistakable aura, the demons guarding the imperial library skillfully lit the two torches placed on either side of the beautifully-crafted doors, thus illuminating the otherwise obscure corridor. With a reverential bending of their upper bodies, they opened the doors for their master and his faithful general, closing them swiftly afterward.

Once they stepped inside the spacious room designed to house the exquisite collection of ancient scrolls and parchments, the silent stride of the youkai lord continued until he reached the large window that overlooked the training grounds of his armies. Swiftly, the precise gaze of his golden hues penetrated the darkness surrounding his lands, but the tall dog demon made no move to sit on the chair his subjects were used to see him sit in whenever he retreated to his library. Lethally clawed fingers moved to grasp the leathery hilt of one of the two swords tied securely at his waist in a practiced, and now fairly natural, gesture of a stance that easily allowed him to switch between battle and diplomacy.

"A sleeping spell?" his low voice inquired. Albeit monotone, his voice underlined severity. Masato had learned this within his first years of serving the feared Western lord.

"I thought it appropriate that the girl not exhaust herself further until we reached the barrier, my lord."

At that, Sesshomaru slightly turned his head, thus allowing his now harsh irises to lock with those of his general in silent warning. The girl was not supposed to exhaust herself in any way. No doubt that her usefulness went as far as her physical condition allowed. His displeasure turned threatening as the hand that he had rested upon the hilt of his sword easily let go to loosely hang at his side.

"The girl overused her spiritual powers. She would've been in no condition to continue traveling,"

"You have summoned Ah Un, along with the second garrison I've prepared in case of an emergency."

Yes, of course, the summoning of reinforcements needed to be thoroughly explained, so Masato moved to place the girl upon the large cushions right beside the massive wooden desk. Despite it being a place reserved for honored guests and this being a daring move on his part, his master made no move to stop him.

"We've been attacked, my lord," the general commenced once he took the customary stance before his ruler. "You have foreseen well the possibility of an ambush. However, it did not come as one would've expected."

The slight narrow of Sesshomaru's glowing aureate orbs had Masato carefully consider his next words. Despite having been in the military service of the Western demon lord for many centuries, one never actually got accustomed to how dangerously easy the dog demon's aura switched from cold and ominous to homicidal.

"One of our soldiers has been possessed and tried to attack. Although we have dealt with enemy possessions before, this one was more refined. Instead of possessing him completely from the very beginning, the soldier acted normally all throughout the journey until something triggered his possession."

There was no doubt. For decades now, such things have occurred within the Western lands. It started at the border with the Northern lands, but all too soon the attacks gradually spread out. It was no secret that the Western lands were the most prosperous of all and have always been the center of all major economical activities. The great dog demon that had ruled these lands over 800 years ago, Inutaisho, often waged war against the neighboring lands to avoid the loss of such blessed grounds, and time and again the Western armies defeated their fierce enemies. The hostilities never stopped however, peace treaties were only as meaningful as a paper signed by a thief who promised not to steal but inevitably ended up stealing once more. The analogy was very accurate, since it was just that precise thing that the neighboring lands were doing. However, unlike his kind-hearted father, who sought peace and was easily persuaded to end a war, Sesshomaru, the eldest son of the great dog demon, was not like his father. Not in the very least. Although his physical appearance strikingly resembled that of his father, having even managed to surpass him in terms of good looks, the young dog demon was not to be mistaken with his late sire. Flawless pale skin, honey-colored eyes and long silver hair aside, in terms of personality, Sesshomaru was the opposite of his lord father. His reputation was deeply ingrained in the minds of all those who've had the misfortune of daring to oppose him. In the perception of the young Western lord, governing lands required not only strength, stealth, cunningness, intelligence. It also excluded things as mercy, kindness, benevolence. Sesshomaru's judgments were just, precise, and calculated, but at the same time unforgiving, merciless, ruthless. There was no hesitation, no regret in his decisions. They were absolute. He was what they would call a _supreme ruler_. He had no doubt that the neighboring countries have been trying to tempt him into starting a war precisely because they believed him a replica of the great dog demon, someone who would only chase them away and then offer peace. What fools they were. Only months ago did he slaughter the Northern Lands' lord, but they refused to retreat as a tactful fighter would. Instead, they kept tempting him with petty attacks. But they need not tempt Sesshomaru. Even had they not done anything, he would've waged war against them to conquer their lands. All he needed was a motive, and they were all but offering it on a silver platter. How convenient. Soon, what he had most desired would finally be in his grasp: _supreme conquest_.

"How many casualties?" the lord inquired once more.

"None, my lord. The priestess was the one who stopped the attack."

And Sesshomaru turned then to fully face his general. Entertaining what Masato said was proving to be a hard task, seeing as the girl's lack of training would certainly prevent such a thing from happening. However, he had already been aware that the human female had a much more impressive extrasensory perception than they've predicted. He motioned for the general to continue.

"From what I've been able to tell, the girl could sense a foreign aura within the soldier's natural one. Once she's alerted me of the impending attack, I have immobilized the soldier and had him sent to the dungeons. He is ready for interrogation."

Masato had done well, Sesshomaru concluded. Needless to say, in such situations, reinforcements were most needed. The enemy must have not been far away if such a possession had been carried out. It did not take a fairly intelligent creature to realize that the target had not been the general, but the girl all along. That being said, there was now no mistake, their adversaries were aware of the priestess' arrival. It was good that the girl was now within the safety of the Western barrier. Here, they would never reach her.

"General?" a soft voice interrupted the two demons, causing them both to turn their heads toward the now half conscious female.

She had barely opened her eyes, her mind still clouded and vision unfocused. She could not exactly recall the last thing that had happened, but whatever it was, she saw no use in pondering about it. Her body felt so relaxed, resting on such soft and comfortable material, that sleep begged for her to return. However, she would not be allowed that. Her awakening could not come at a better time, Sesshomaru surmised.

"Leave us," the dog youkai lord said.

With a nod, the general easily stood up and exited the room, leaving his master to deal with the confused human girl. It was time that their plans of conquest finally be put into motion.

Kagome's eyes snapped open at hearing the sudden order that an unknown male voice had issued. In the daze induced by her recently-disturbed slumber, her eyes landed on a figure not very far away from her. Tall. Dark. Unmoving. She blinked, attempting to once again disperse the mist clouding her vision. As expected, it seemed to work, and the more she blinked, the clearer her sight became. It was unfortunate that along with that, her body seemed to grow stiffer and stiffer, her senses slowly coming back to her, along with her abnormal sensitivity to paranormal. The things she was sensing coming from this person seemed to draw out all else. Never had she felt such an enormous mass of menacing sensations. His presence was overwhelming, it overpowered her body, her mind, making her tremble with the pressure.

His golden eyes observed her movements with great attention, noting how easily she had picked up on the spike in his aura, how even within the confines of her spell-induced sleep his superior presence had awoken her, frightened her. Such great spiritual awareness even at such an untrained level. Quite the promising priestess the girl proved to be. He would make good use of her.

And finally, her vision cleared completely, her stormy blue eyes gluing their apprehensive gaze onto the face of the stranger that had startled her so. And her orbs widened then, her lips parting with an uncontained gasp of surprise. Perhaps she was still dreaming. Or perhaps she was imagining things. Whatever it was –as doubtful as she was that her poor mind could even conjure up such an angelic being- Kagome stared at the man whose appearance had left her breathless. Such beautiful pale skin he had, such well defined masculine lips. The strong and elegant jaw line pleasantly outlined his face, his nose was proud and harmoniously sculpted, and his eyes were shaped to perfection. But most of all, those hues of molten gold, so emotionless and stern, continued to watch her with evident scrutiny. Oh, she did know she was staring and had been doing so for more than too long, but she still could not help herself. Try as she might, but she could not recall a single one of the futuristic celebrities to hold such unnatural appeal. And unnatural it truly was, for as her eyes continued to roam over the stunning facial features of her unnamed captor, she realized just how much far from human he truly was; twin magenta stripes adorned the sides of his face, and upon his forehead rested an indigo crescent moon that all the more complimented the glow of his alabaster skin. And in a most unexpectedly pleasing chromatic contrast came his beautiful silky silver hair, the long tresses cascading down his back, making it hard for her to see just how long they truly were. The man before her- no, _demon_ before her, was _breathtaking_.

Kagome slowly pushed herself up, her body trembling a little from having not moved for quite some time. Still, once she steadied herself in an upright position, she was proud that her knees did not weaken to force her onto the ground once more. Her previous position made her feel too helpless, and even though her standing up did not necessarily improve her situation, it more or less helped her hold her ground better. Handsome or not, Kagome furiously fought back the reddening of her cheeks. It wasn't just embarrassing, she knew. It was hardly appropriate as well, for this demon…she had a bad feeling about him. And the more she thought about him, the more dreadful her predicament seemed.

Sesshomaru regarded the girl coldly, having expected her confusion. He had taken immediate notice of how her eyes moved their appreciative stare upon his being, and he had let her. As repugnant as having a human ogle him was, in the end the girl needed to remember the face of her master. His enemies have more than just offered him a motive to start a war, they've triggered the girl's defensive spiritual instincts. By having her force herself to pinpoint the source of one's aura, her powers have been completely unlocked. Her potential was now ripe and ready to be molded to serve him well. Her training would begin immediately. With that in mind, Sesshomaru walked behind his desk, his eyes silently searching for a particular scroll he had placed only days ago upon the bookshelves resting on the wall.

Kagome watched him wearily. It wasn't like her to keep silent for so long, and Kami knew she wouldn't be able to much longer. In fact, she would've demanded right away to know what she was doing here if it were not for the fact that, like before, she had the nagging feeling that she was missing something. Her mind frantically searched for what was troubling her, and it doing so she also tried to recall everything that had happened before her sudden slip into unconsciousness. She didn't like being kept in the dark, so she tried with marked determination to make sense of it all. Then, it suddenly clicked. _'You belong to Lord Sesshomaru now.'_ The words echoed loudly within her mind, and along with them, Kagome recalled vividly how she had asked the crimson-eyed commander just who that person was. The more she thought about the description General Masato gave of his ruler within the first few minutes of her kidnapping, the more certain she became of who the demon in front of her was. After all, the general's descriptive words perfectly matched.

"Lord Sesshomaru."

The dog demon raised his eyes to look at her then, his gaze, unreadable at first, sharpening with the narrowing of his eyes.

_'So I was right,'_ Kagome thought. The look he was giving her made her shift uncomfortably. Then, at seeing that he merely returned to investigate what he had previously been looking at, Kagome could feel the all too familiar annoyance rise within her. He had barely even acknowledged her! "Why am I here?"

If he heard her, he definitely did not show it. Instead, his indifference left her to deal with a never before fought inner battle. Her body and mind were still very receptive to the forbidding sensations his mere presence emanated, having her clutch tightly the sides of her nightgown, but she would not be deterred. She refused to let this fear of a stranger keep her in the dark when it certainly involved her well-being.

"Just who the hell are you?!"

He moved then, and she gasped as suddenly, he disappeared from his previous spot. Her body shivered as tremors tingled through her entire being, and moments later she felt the firm shape of a hand trace her back, using her spine as way to reach the back of her neck.

"Can you not tell?" his deep voice resonated right behind her, having her heart race much faster than it already was.

Kagome shut her eyes closed, attempting to block out the cold sensations her body was registering from his touch. She truly did not wish for this to happen again, but just like many times during this cursed night, her fear bordered dangerous levels. Was he playing games with her? His words…they actually made It sound like she was somehow supposed to know, and Kagome would've laughed had her situation not been so disturbingly wrong. His presence enveloped her, threatened her, forcing her body to tingle with each chill that ran down her spine at his cold caress, leaving her mind in desperate search for an answer.

And then, realization came to her! The _tingling_, the _cold caresses_, his _threatening presence_! Her horrible night had commenced with those precise things! From the moment she had accepted to partake into the dreaded ceremony, these were the things that had haunted her, terrorized her! And the more he stood behind her, _**tracing her back**_, _**breathing on her neck**_, the more the feeling of déjà-vu intensified, his predator-like vibes having her body quiver with panic.

"It was you…" came her soft whisper, her mind unconsciously begging for her to be wrong.

Yes, indeed it had been him. Unbeknownst to the girl, he had been watching her long before the ceremony. However, she had been a great disappointment in her days before her priestess initiation a few hours ago. She had truly seemed to lack any sort of spiritual power, which was fairly unusual for someone of her lineage. It almost led him to believe that he had been wrong and had made a poor decision in choosing to supervise her. Moreover, the girl had been always foolishly oblivious to the spectral beings around her, leaving both him and his sword smith to wonder if she was truly the descendant of the Great Priestess. Tonight, however, things took a most desired turn. The girl was more than he bargained for. Triumph was within his grasp.

"…Why am I here?" Kagome questioned in a surprisingly stronger tone of voice, though her fear still remained present.

"You are where you are needed, priestess."

His response was short, the depth of his tone making her dread him even more. She truly, _truly,_ couldn't understand. Needed? What for? Why her? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so many things that were still unknown to her but the hurricane of emotions ravaging her tender soul made her close her mouth and remain silent. Frustration, fear, panic, anger, uncertainty…they were all battling within her, leaving her vulnerable to the words her captor spoke.

And that was precisely what he was aiming for. Her resolve needed to be weakened so her mind would be more receptive to what she would soon learn of her future here. Of course, if he deemed it necessary, force would be used for her to carry out her tasks. However, it was not out of compassion that Sesshomaru wanted to avoid that. Quite the contrary, really. It was a well known fact that demons loathed humans. It was an even better known fact that out of all the ruling lords, Sesshomaru despised humans the most. So no, he did not avoid physical punishment in this girl's case because of some strange sort of compassion. If anything, it would only take very small mistakes on her part to urge him to punish her. Her kind never learned, Sesshomaru knew. But they did provide some amusement when beaten, he admitted that. Still, even if he did punish her, he would always have to be careful not to injure her too badly. Humans were such feeble creatures, females even more so. And as he gazed upon the petite woman-child before him, he had no doubt that she did not possess great endurance for pain. He needed her at top condition. And so, in the end it would all prove to be quite troublesome. But his words have served their purpose, his vague answer and a further spike in his aura already working to weaken her state of mind. It was time.

Kagome started at the demon lord's peculiar actions, and watched him with confusion as, after he had moved from behind her to retrieve a certain something from the bookshelves that have held his attention moments ago, he finally turned around to place upon his desk an old-looking scroll. With a slight incline of his head, he motioned for her to approach. She didn't want to. She really didn't. But, apparently, her body knew better than to anger a demon that, even when not furious, managed to frighten her so. And so, with uncertain small steps, she approached the large wooden furniture and after locking her unsure gaze with his emotionless one, she carefully reached out and grabbed the scroll.

It was nothing special. The worn-out exterior betrayed nothing of its contents and had she not known whom it belonged to, Kagome would've assumed this to be one of her late grandfather's scrolls. But, alas, it was not, so with trembling fingers, she slowly unrolled it and without further delay, her eyes began to read the faded kanji:

_"…and so, every 500 years, a great priestess would arise._

_And in her days, no other being shall wield the same power as her._

_She would be gifted._

_She would be strong._

_She would dominate her kin, but be dominated in return, for her power is not given for her alone to use._

_Her goal would be simple, and unchangeable._

_She would fight, but she would serve._

_She would kill, but she would heal._

_For as long as her duty lasts, she would not rest."_

Kagome stared unblinkingly at the words before her.

What was this?

A riddle?

Her arms lowered themselves, but her head remained titled downward, the sound of the slight roll of the scroll's parchment distantly registering inside her mind. Kagome was beyond confused. Her mind was in complete disarray and the more it stayed that way, the more it brought about denial. And who could blame her? These words…they were not meant for her. They really weren't. Priestess? She was no priestess. Gifted? She had wished all her life to possess some sort of gift. But she didn't; she couldn't draw, she couldn't sing, she wasn't good at sports. Strong? She had always believed she was strong_-willed_, but tonight she seriously doubted that. And _fight_? _**Kill**_?

Reaching out, her small hands attempted to gently place the ancient scroll upon the polished surface of the desk, but her arms were not as steady as she believed them to be, so when the trembling of her fingers increased with the innocent action, the object that had brought her such distress slipped from between her tender digits and landed upon the desk with a small clatter. Even though it was merely a light sound, in Kagome's ears it rung so loudly as if it were the sort of sound meant to bring her out of her tempestuous inner musings. And Kagome knew _that_ was precisely what she needed to do. As fearful as she felt now, she couldn't stay like that all night. She needed answers. So she turned then to face the demon that had trained his penetrating stare onto her body, making her feel as if she was completely unshielded, unprotected, vulnerable before him. And she was. But Kagome would not let that stop her any longer.

"What is this?" Her voice was distant, as were her eyes. She was 100% sure that any moment now this demon would let her know that it had all been just a very, _very_ bad joke. That it had all been meant to scare her, for she knew that people were amused by the way she behaved when she was thoroughly scared. And Kagome was positive that she had never been so frightened and confused in all her life, so she would commend him for this incredible feat.

"Your future, miko," he replied nonchalantly.

Really, his mordant humor was very high class, she would acknowledge that. If only she knew that the Western lord's black humor only revealed itself on the battlefield, she would've not made such a terrible assumption on her part.

"You bastard! This isn't funny!" she yelled.

But her body trembled noticeably then, and she suddenly found the air too heavy to breath. She had believed his presence to be overwhelming before, but now, it almost seemed as if he somehow intensified it twice as much, leaving her to pant harshly and her eyes to water. Cursed be her weak body!

Sesshomaru would not allow her this. He had been aware of the girl's feisty nature and loud mouth from the first day he had appointed his sword smith to supervise her prowess, and had decided she would be shown her place thoroughly when he finally deemed her worthy to become a tool in his plans. After all, there were so many ways he could go about taming her, and that particular train of thought almost made his lips upturn in a dark smirk. For now however, such methods would be put aside, as the girl needed to be lucid in order to grasp the information he would let her in on. For now, the increase in his aura would be her only warning.

"I despise having to repeat myself," she heard his wickedly smooth voice speak, "so listen well."

Once her widened cerulean hues raised to meet his intense gaze, Sesshomaru let his aura somewhat recede, so the quivering of her body would not keep her from giving him her undivided attention.

"Your ancestors have failed in fulfilling their duty, but you will not. From this moment, miko, your power belongs to me."

Kagome couldn't believe it! Was he out of his mind?

"Listen, pal, I belong to no one!" she indignantly bellowed, her fury anew. "And _that_," she continued while pointing at the scroll, "those words scribbled on that shabby parchment, are they supposed to mean anything to me?!"

The girl had no idea how much she was trying his patience. Her loud voice and shameless behavior, it had all irked him from the very beginning. The air was getting thicker, he knew, both with his morbidly growing ire, and with her foolishly blatant ignorance. Amusing how when her anger got the best of her, she lost focus of how truly appalling her situation truly was. However, no matter how tempting it was to spike his aura to a greater extent than before, he did not. Instead, his provoked eyes slowly trailed onto the scroll and then back up at her.

His persistent gesture had Kagome catch on to his subtle hint, so her eyes again moved toward the ancient writing. The way she had let the scroll fall onto the desk, its exterior was now facing her entirely and she could clearly read the larger kanji that said '_Nakamura_'. Her heart seemed to stop then. Was that old piece of…_garbage_ of a scroll actually referring to her? Really?

"I'm no priestess," she breathed. "_That_'s not talking about me!"

"But it is," Sesshomaru calmly informed. "Five hundred years ago, the Great Priestess died before my father could make good use of her power. Similarly, the Edo Priestess Kikyo has died before I could possess her talents. But you, miko of the future, you will not be so lucky."

Lucky? She was lucky if she died? Just what the hell was going on? Her fair-skinned complexion that so enthrallingly displayed a rosy reddening of her cheeks slowly lost its fuchsia coloring, the blood having drained from her face, leaving her as pale as in the face of death. She was not hearing this! None of it!

"You sick bastard! Just what-"

Too late did she notice that his tall figure flickered away from sight, and now, only a moment later, he was directly in front of her, staring down at her with narrowed eyes. And no sooner than this did she yelp with pain at suddenly feeling her upper body tightly constricted by a burning string. Looking down, her eyes widening with horrified realization, Kagome recognized a glowing green whip wrapped painfully around her arms and torso. Panting harshly, her panicked eyes slowly traced the string to the clawed hand in front of her, the string seeming to somehow protrude from the tips of the demon's index and middle finger.

"The limits of my mercy have been reached, girl," his harsh tone cut through her very being.

And soon, green mist seeped out from the glowing whip, enveloping her in its suffocating toxic vapours. She still had so many things to say! So many things to ask! She didn't want it to end here! But her rebelling mind could not stop her body from responding to the toxins it had unwillingly inhaled. The pain seemed to decrease, and along with it so did the clarity of her vision. Within the now foggy confines of her mind, she recognized these symptoms. She would again be unconscious. Or maybe even dead. But what had truly terrified her was that before her sight completely darkened, she could've sworn Lord Sesshomaru's eyes tinted red.

* * *

_Drip drip…_

Kagome could hear it…had been hearing it for a while…something dripping in the distance…somewhere above her…but for the life of her, she could not open her eyes. No, she _didn't_ want to. She did not want to see. She had a rough idea of how long she had been awake, and that was perhaps for over ten minutes. But she still didn't want to see. She was afraid. She was trembling. It was enough that her body was immobilized completely –the sound of heavy chains moving along with her restricted limbs was a good indication of that- and she was forced to rest on her side. It was enough that she felt cold, pressed against the cool damp ground for who-knows-how-long. And it was certainly enough that the shrilling sound of tortured screams would repeatedly echo loudly until it reached her location. She didn't want to see.

"I see you are awake," a voice she knew all too well suddenly spoke when the sound of screeching metal doors disturbed her turbulent musings.

'_General Masato.'_

She opened her eyes then, her blurred vision registering the pair of dark boots standing directly in front of her. Funny, she did not even hear him move this close.

"This is not where you shall be residing," his rough voice informed. Masato knew all too well what the girl would be thinking by now, so he saw no point in having her agitate herself by thinking unrealistic things. It was his understanding that dungeons held an especially terrifying image of torture, darkness, chains, deprivation and a lifetime of misery in modern imaginations, which was not very far from the truth –with a few differences, of course. Still, the girl need not fret over these aspects. Not for now at least. In the end, her stay at the Western castle would all depend on her.

"I'm not?" Kagome asked hopefully, attempting to stand, but the chains held her securely to the ground.

The general regarded her impassively. Her chambers were finally ready, but as it took a couple more hours for the imperial seer to finish placing the sealing spell upon them, the girl needed to be kept safe, and most importantly, away from prying eyes. For now, her existence was to be kept a secret even from the rest of the castle servants. However, that would've been impossible to do, with the girl's untamed spiritual aura fluctuating so dangerously after her encounter with the Western lord. So the dog youkai demanded she be placed in the underground cell complex that had originally formed part of the castle keep and was basically the last defensive part of the castle. Undoubtedly, it was the ideal place to hide her in: limited access, the walls were twice as thick, the chains enchanted as to subdue the most gruesome of demonic auras. Only high class criminals were being held here. No one would suspect an innocent miko from 500 years into the future to be among them. Yes, the chains did no good in subduing her spiritual powers, but they still held heavy traces of the demonic auras they've tamed over the past few centuries, so at least the pressure they would apply upon her aura would keep her motionless. After all, she did not have the power to discern between live and dead auras yet.

"Follow me," he sternly intoned, turning his back to her.

Kagome wanted to protest, since her body was restricted, but as she unconsciously raised herself up with the gesture, she noticed how the heavy metallic bindings have unlocked from around her middle, ankles and wrists. How that happened, she honesty did not know, nor did she really care. If anything, it felt refreshing to have control over your limbs.

Walking slowly at first so as to not further the effects of the needle-like sensations piercing her body from having not moved for a long time, her little feet insecurely carried her toward the stoic blue-skinned commander who had stopped to allow her enough time to accustom her body to the movement.

Wordlessly, Masato once again paced in front of her, having but spared her a mere disinterested glance. The girl was a mess. The light material covering her small body was dirty and torn both from the journey, and from his lord's whip, her hair was disheveled and some tresses clung to the side of her sweat-covered skin, and her face was dirtied, also carrying the mark of fresh tears. Not to mention her pallid coloring, distressed stare, quivering limbs, swollen lips from having been bitten countless times since her arrival in this era. She truly was no Grand Priestess material at the moment. However, her appearance fitted the environment and served a well planned-ahead purpose. This way no one would question her presence. The way she looked now, she could easily pass as someone who's done a crime and was simply receiving a well-deserved punishment. As they passed through various narrow dungeon corridors darkened by soot, the general took notice of how the young female's body seemed to flinch every time one of the prisoners would scream in agony. This experience would do her good. At the very least, it would serve as reminder of what awaited her should she fail her duty to his master. After all, Lord Sesshomaru was not exactly known for his leniency. Another scream erupted, and the girl walked closer to him, evidently afraid. Masato paid her no mind, instead letting his thoughts drift elsewhere. He did not worry of the demons imprisoned within these foreboding underground walls of finding out the girl was a miko, for all of their chains were enchanted and their auras suppressed. They would be able to sense nothing, so the girl's spiritual heritage would certainly not be given away. He had to admit, however, that he was curious. Curious as to how she would evolve, as to how she would go about fulfilling the tasks his lord had assigned to her. After all, it was proven to be a tricky matter even for the Edo Priestess. He was curious if the futuristic girl was any match for her deceased ancestor.

Kagome's arms raised to embrace her frozen torso as they did numerous times since this night had begun. It was not just because her body felt cold, but her mind was still in such disarray. She had stopped wondering whether she should ask where she was being taken to. She already knew she wouldn't get much of an answer. And even if she did, she would have a hard time focusing on that, since again her attention and senses were drawn to her surroundings and had her shiver. As her desperate orbs clung onto the back of the demon general, her eyes had been caught by what lay on the walls that surrounded them. She could feel herself biting her lip again, but she could not stop the distressed gesture. For as she gazed upon the dark brick structure, she could fearfully distinguish wraith-like shadows moving at the same pace with them. They had a grotesque outline, and even though she could distinguish their jaws, she did not see them move. But she did hear their voices. They were screaming, much as the prisoners hidden from her view did, only these shadows…their screams were faded, as if coming from a distance, from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It terrified her. So she did the only thing that she could do.

For the second time that night, Masato threw an irritated glance at the human female as she once again clutched with an impressive vice-like grip onto his forearm.

"They're following us…"

Now, despite having witnessed her enhanced spiritual awareness, Masato knew that there was absolutely no possibility of another enemy attack to occur within the Western Barrier, least of all within the fortified walls of the dungeons. So that only left…

"They're dead."

"What?" she quickly whispered with agitation.

"The auras you're sensing down here. They belong to demons that have died. If they were strong, their auras would impregnate themselves onto these walls and call out to those who hear them. You cannot discern the living from the dead yet."

His ambiguous explanation seemed to make sense to Kagome.

"So you can sense them too?"

She couldn't help but ask. After all, it was proving once again that she was not losing her mind, and at this point, such encouragement was very welcomed.

"If I choose to."

"So…does that mean I'll be able to block them out somehow too?"

She knew she was getting hopeful, but it didn't hurt to try and be a little optimistic about _something_ at least.

"It takes practice."

So she could! This was probably the first set of some kind of good news during this horrible, horrible night!

"And if-"

"We're here," Masato gladly interrupted.

Kagome stopped at his announcement, her widened hues taking in the large metallic doors in front of them and the large sutra placed above them, the kanji written upon it spelling '_BIND_'. No, she had hoped for something better! She really, really tried not to be unreasonable in her situation because –of course- she knew she couldn't exactly hope for anything extraordinarily good, but why the hell go through all the trouble of moving her from a dungeon cell only to place her in another one?!

Disregarding her troubled appearance, Masato opened the heavy doors, his keen ears unfortunately having to endure the same screeching noise the metallic doors of her previous cell made. Seeing as the girl remained rooted to her spot, he easily dragged her inside, even though she had not protested as much as he had expected her to. She only seemed…shocked.

And shocked she was, for Kagome had not been expecting this. Really, she hadn't. The cell was damp, dark and empty –much like her previous one- save for a small futon and a low wooden table upon which rested the objects that have shocked her the most. The tall candles placed upon the table were not what caught her attention. It was the three aristocratic swords lying next to each other that had truly sparked her interest. As was her -more or less bad- habit, Kagome completely ignored the presence of the imposing crimson-eyed commander who had even opened his mouth to speak, and instead walked over to the plain wooden table to better gaze upon the large artistically-decorated swords. The small neat kanji carved into their dark sheathes spelled their respective names…or the name of their owners, Kagome did not exactly know. That is what she knew from her late grandfather. But she read them nonetheless.

_'Tenseiga'_ said the first, and Kagome couldn't help but mutter its literal meaning, "Heavenly Rebirth Fang."

'_Tessaiga_' said the second, and she again muttered, "Iron-Smashing Fang."

'_So'unga'_ said the third. "Amassing Cloud Fang."

The swords were exquisite. How her grandfather would've killed to be in their possession!

Masato was visibly amused by the girl's curiosity, and had let her gaze upon the objects that would soon test her true potential. Once he figured she had had enough time to inspect them, he had decided to speak what he had intended to tell her from the very beginning.

"**Tenseiga**, forged from the fang of Lord Sesshomaru's terrible father. It has a special property: it cannot harm any living beings, which is ironic for a sword. However its power lies in the fact that it can bring the recently dead back to life as well as healing the wounded. It allows a powerful wielder to see and slay the beings from the underworld, as well as bringing up to 100 beings back to life in one swing.

**Tessaiga**, again forged from the fang of the great dog demon. It is the opposite of Tenseiga. Out of the two, Tessaiga is "the sword of destruction", while Tenseiga is "the sword of life." In its 'docile' form, the sword looks like a regular, and rather battered, katana. When wielded properly, it transforms into a larger weapon. The Tessaiga will only transform if the user cares for humans and has youki. This means that you humans can never wield it because you do not possess youki. The Tessaiga has the power to slay 100 demons in one swing, it also has the ability to absorb the technique or skill of a strong youkai that is defeated with the sword.

**So'unga**, "the sword of hell or of world conquest", can summon 100 dead souls in one swing. Unlike the Tessaiga or Tenseiga, it was not created from the great dog demon's fang. Also, unlike the other two, Sō'unga contains the spirit of an ancient evil dragon from the depths of hell. When held by a human, Sō'unga takes control of them, and they will kill everything they possibly can, but when held by a yōukai, then Sō'unga will try to persuade them to do its bidding."

Kagome stared wide-eyed at the swords while listening to their respective descriptions. These katanas, they couldn't possibly do all that! Even though her head seemed to burst with the amount of information she had received, almost too science-fiction-like information, she felt like she was truly going insane. If, by any meager chance, these swords were truly as powerful as the commander claimed they were –which she sort of began to assume was true, judging from dead serious look the general was giving her- she felt her head spin. Really, if these weapons held so much power, she definitely didn't want anything to do with them, or be in the same room with them for that matter. The first sword seemed too good to be true, and the other two seemed unbelievably macabre.

"Can you tell what flaws lie within each sword, miko?" Masato's stern tone had her eyes train onto his shadowed body.

"Flaws?"

"Tenseiga cannot injure or kill. Tessaiga can only be activated if the wielder cares for humans. And Lastly, So'unga has a mind of its own and always searches for a better host," the general provided once again.

The girl continued to gaze at him unblinkingly, as if she truly did not know what he was trying to say. But Masato knew from the look in her ever-so-expressive cerulean eyes that she would soon conclude what all of this information had to do with her presence within these walls. After all, she was averagely smart, human-wise speaking, of course. And, as expected, he had been right, for only moments later, her stormy orbs widened considerably with horror as she pointed at the swords and then back at herself.

"You mean…you want me to…am I supposed to…"

"Yes, priestess, your job is to rid the swords of their flaws."

* * *

…**:::About this chapter:::…**

I'd like to explain a few things about this chapter before any questions are asked. It is about the live and dead demonic auras I've mentioned. I haven't exactly come up with this on my own. If you recall the series a bit, after the forging of Tokijin, the sword still carried the aura of the demon it had been forged from, so basically that is a good example of a dead demon's aura still existing, still leaving a trace behind. I could also give the example of So'unga, but many would not take it into very much consideration since it's not really mentioned in the original series and manga.


	3. Chapter 3

…**:::3 months later:::…**

One…two…three…four…five…six…_seven_

Seven. Seven sutras securely placed next to each other to form a restrictive circle upon the sheath that shielded her greatest nightmare from her tired eyes. It was important that they were all placed correctly, in the appropriate order. Otherwise, her spell would not complete the binding seal. She counted the sutras again, making sure the kanji she had painted upon them coincided with the words she would use for her incantation.

'_Seven.'_

Everything was set.

Raising her index and middle finger to touch her tender lips, Kagome softly commenced to whisper each syllable. The words flew smoothly from between her parted lips since she was now very much accustomed to such practices. And from between thick lashes, her eyes watched with fascination as the sutras began to glow a bright pink. The sword rustled within its sheath, fighting the holy energy that was surrounding it but to no avail. As long as both the sheath and the sutras worked _together_ to conceal the menacing dead aura that resided within the blade, the sword would not lash out.

"Do you think it's ready?" Kagome asked once the roseate radiance of her sacred energy subsided.

"You are getting better and better, I must say."

Kagome smiled warmly at the gentle voice of the handsome demon kneeling beside her.

His name was Suikotsu, and he was the dungeon keeper. He was also Kagome's first friend since her arrival in the Feudal Era. Much has changed since she first came here. If anyone would've told her that she would befriend the demon that not only kept the humongous bungle of rusted dungeon keys, but was also head executioner in the torture chambers, she would've called them crazy! But things weren't as simple as that. Suikotsu was such a complex individual. After only a few days of her imprisonment, he had caught her attention. It was not because so much time around fiendish beasts finally got to her and had her lose focus of what was truly right or wrong. Suikotsu was simply special.

Putting on a pair of leather gloves, Suikotsu reached over to grab the handle of the sword resting so innocently on the table.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. The aura is still not completely subdued. I can still feel it leaking through the sheath," he informed with a sigh. Really, he pitied the girl. She had worked so long on her new binding spell, but it was still no good.

"Stupid, stupid So'unga! I've had it with you!" Kagome hissed through gritted teeth.

"Don't be so surprised, I say. What demon would willingly let a priestess subdue their aura?"

His amused inquiry was indeed logical, but not enough to make Kagome completely lighten up.

"Point taken. But this aura is dead. This stupid dragon from hell can't come back to life no matter what he does, he might as well just let me do it!"

"Maybe you should use more sutras?"

Kagome could tell Suikotsu was truly trying to help, but his solution would not work.

"No, add another sutra and the sheath will crumble and then all hell will break loose…literally."

She sighed heavily. So many weeks spent to perfect a new binding seal, all for nothing. She was now pretty advanced in spiritual rituals so, as of lately, she quite enjoyed performing them. But so far, even though she had perfected the spells through rigorous training, they did not work on this blade. If she could, she would definitely take a hold of the blasted sword and throw it into a fire and be done with it! But she couldn't, and that made her glare at the katana as if it were the source of all evil. And in all honesty, it kind of was. Within the first week of her imprisonment, Sesshomaru had come visit her. Since then, he resumed to do so regularly in order to personally witness her progress. She would train in the morning with the imperial seer, and then she would work on the blades in the afternoon. And in the evening, Sesshomaru would come and evaluate her efforts. She dreaded his visits. Even though she had somewhat come to terms with her new lifestyle, she was still frightened by the Western lord. Some progress _had _been made between them, but from her point of view, it wasn't much. She was not the only one to behave so apprehensively in his presence though. The dog demon had a viciously efficient way of rendering his interlocutor –whom was wrongly named so, since their talking was severely limited in Sesshomaru's presence- quite panic-stricken. Still, it was within the first visit that Sesshomaru paid her that he had let her know of additional things she needed be mindful of regarding his swords.

"_**As for So'unga, worry not. Should you touch it, it will not possess you."**_

_**Kagome could feel a sigh of relief coming.**_

"_**It will kill you."**_

_**Try as she might, but she couldn't stop the violent coughing fit from coming, and once it sufficiently died down, she stared at him wide-eyed.**_

"_**Your sacred energy can purify demonic auras, just as demonic auras can overcome lesser spiritual auras. Were you an ordinary human, you would be possessed, but the clash between So'unga's superior demonic aura and your holy one would surely kill you."**_

That was what he said.

Hence why it was Suikotsu who dared touch the sword and not herself. Suikotsu was most suited for the job. He was the one who designed the aura-binding chains of the dungeons, and the very gloves he was wearing also possessed this convenient trait. So, after every spell, he would be the one to check if the sword was truly rendered 'auraless'.

One might wonder why all of this was necessary. It was because removing So'unga's flaws meant battling the aura inside it. There were two ways to go about that: she could try and tame the aura and make it listen to her –which, obviously, was not possible, for the aura was too great for Kagome to tame- or she could try to separate it from the blade, but that would make the sword useless, since it was the aura that gave the sword its power. Not to mention that Kagome would probably die from exerting all of her sacred energy for the task. So the young priestess focused on something "easier". If she could make the aura _stop_ having a mind of its own…well, problem solved; So'unga would stop searching for a stronger wielder. That was why during the past few weeks she relentlessly tried to place a barrier around the aura's "will". So far…not so good.

Her thoughts were brutally interrupted by the sharp noise of swords clashing against each other. Thankfully, despite her mind being elsewhere, her body had reacted on instinct, so the sudden attack that came from behind her had been successfully intercepted. Her blue hues locked with crimson ones, both of her hands tightly holding onto the sword she had used to block her attacker's strike.

Masato smirked.

"You have gotten better with a sword."

Kagome nodded. Yes, she had gotten better. How could she not? She had been ordered to undertake physical training as well. She could not exactly explain it, but ever since her '_spiritual awakening'_ –as the general liked to put it- she noted that she could easily get accustomed to wielding various weapons. It didn't come as much of a surprise though, since even during her initiation ceremony she had shot a purification arrow for the first time in her life and it hit dead center. She was thankful. Thankful that at least one good thing had come out of her tapping into her priestess blood. The imperial seer was so strict when training her spiritually, she was glad that at least physically she would not have to struggle so much to improve.

"What happened to you?" Suikotsu asked his comrade, having already noticed the deep gash running across the leaden chest plate of the general's steel armor. Masato tried to cover his burdensome wound once his arms let go of the sword he had attacked Kagome with, despite knowing that the scent of his blood clearly indicated his injury. Demon pride was all but a common trait among high class demons such as himself.

"Another attack at the Northern border," he bitterly supplied.

What troublesome news. Suikotsu had believed that the Northern Lands would stop their fruitless assaults and seek a truce, especially after having lost their leader at the hands of their master. Suikotsu had spent many centuries interrogating prisoners of war and spies, so one would think he'd have a clue as to how enemy minds worked. In this situation though, he sincerely could not understand their reasoning. By now it was no secret even among the peasants that soon a new war would begin. Their lord had elaborated a most strict battle-simulating training for his armies, and the soldiers were craving enemy blood to appease their thirst for killing.

Nodding at his childhood companion, the dark-haired dungeon keeper stood up, and with practiced ease, he removed the intricate gloves from his hands and hanged them on the wall. A demon's healing abilities were truly fascinating and highly beneficial in such situations, yet Suikotsu could tell that the royal commander had no time to let the wound close on its own. It explained why he chose to visit the dungeons this late.

"I'll retrieve the medical herbs," Suikotsu announced, and after having removed the blood stained leather vest he had worn all day in the torture room, he left the cell.

Again, a small smile played across Kagome's lips as the dungeon keeper's actions reminded her why she had gotten close to him. In all actuality, Suikotsu was a psychotic serial killer who suffered from multiple personality disorder. He had told her so himself. He possessed two, _definite_ split personalities. One, a gentle, philanthropist doctor who is compassionate and talkative; the other, a Psychopathic and sadistic thrill killer with a wolverine-like appearance that earns him his spot in the _Band of Seven_. When his evil side takes hold, he seems to possess a dry sense of humor and an insatiable desire for blood. Now, what was even more curious was _what_ determined him to switch between the two personas. As it was obvious, his gentle side dominated, but his alternate persona would make a cruel appearance whenever he grabbed a hold of a torture tool or torture device. It also explained why he was head executioner. Behind those red-painted doors of the torture chambers, his blood-thirsty self would amuse himself at the expense of very unfortunate criminals. However, as it had been pointed out by Sesshomaru a while ago, Suikotsu's docile side was just as needed as his wild one was. Whenever a criminal got into a life-threatening stage, Suikotsu's medical knowledge would serve to prevent them from dying before they had obtained all the information from said criminal. All in all, Suikotsu was the perfect executioner, the perfect dungeon keeper. Moreover, he was a member of the Western lord's infamous band of personal mercenaries, the Band of Seven. This group also served as the lord's personal guards whenever he chose to leave the castle or attend a social meeting in the neighboring lands. Suikotsu intrigued Kagome, and as they've gotten closer, she had come to learn more and more of this era, of the demons residing within this castle, of Sesshomaru himself. She had never met the Band of Seven. She only knew that general Masato had at one point been selected to be their leader, but since Sesshomaru had decided to name him his commander in chief, the position had been given to a certain Bankotsu.

"So'unga is restless," the general's voice observed, smoothly having her brought back to reality.

"That blasted sword is going to be the end of me," she muttered, clearly upset.

"I've told you, it would be easier if you focused on the other two, and leave So'unga for when you are better trained."

"I already know how to fix the other two."

Masato stared at the girl with surprise he was quick to mask. Could she have possibly found the answer already? It almost sounded too good to be true, especially since she had only been training for three months. Granted, the imperial seer had reported the young girl's rapid advance into priestesshood, and the news of how her natural instincts guided her through various spiritual practices was indeed astonishing. It also came as a shock to them how easily her petite body would memorize the battle techniques that came with the use of numerous weapons. So far, she excelled in using the legendary bow and arrow –a priestess' signature weapons- but she could hold her ground well even when using other weapons. No doubt, the Nakamura blood was special.

"Really now?" His inquiry had come out gruff, his voice strained from having to bear the pain of his battle wound for an entire day.

"I don't see why _your lord _would want all three swords to cut, the other two are strong enough for that. Anyway, Tenseiga is easiest to fix."

"And how, pray tell, can you fix Tenseiga?" Masato chuckled, taking immediate notice of how the girl refused to acknowledge Sesshomaru as her master.

"I already have."

Kagome stood up then, dragging with her the sword she had used to block Masato's attack; _**Tenseiga**_.

She steadily approached the wounded general. She could see how he watched her with weary eyes, but his body was relaxed. When she stood right in front of him, Kagome brought her free hand to her lips and bit down hard on her thumb, drawing blood. She then proceeded to lift Tenseiga, and brought her bloodied finger to trace the sharp edge of the blade, smearing the dark red liquid upon it. Then, she gently took a hold of the general's palm and brought the blade above it, gently sliding the bloodied edge over his skin.

Masato watched with fascination as once she was done with her task, there was no mistake. A small cut ran across his palm, allowing several drops of his own blood to surface and stain his otherwise light blue skin.

"See?!" Kagome exclaimed excitedly.

His red eyes rose to meet her own, taking in how they so genuinely glittered with happiness. And he smiled at her. She had done well.

Kagome abruptly turned away to face the doors to hide her burning face from him. She really, _really_ could not get accustomed to this. It had been dark when she first arrived in the Feudal era so, at first, she had not paid much attention to how commander Masato truly looked like. But once she had seen him in the light of day, she had been astonished. The general was quite the handsome demon, as was Suikotsu. Were all youkai supposed to be this good-looking? She was no hypocrite to entertain true romantic thoughts, for these were mystical beings, beings that shunned and despised all that she was, but she could not deny their unnatural attraction. Though a priestess, with the duty of remaining pure, she was also a futuristic adolescent, who was not impartial to the appeal of a male's body. Imagine her unease when such appeal was emanated from creatures so different than herself.

And as her terrible luck had it, it did not help that when the rusty metal doors opened, it was the Western lord to walk through them and meet her already reddening cheeks. She truly had the worst of luck!

"My lord," Masato greeted.

Sesshomaru inclined his head to his general, but his attention had been focused fully on his futuristic prisoner the entire time, noting her indisposition and refusal to properly receive him. How quaint, a mortal girl rebelling against him when there was so little she could do to ameliorate her circumstances. His golden orbs gave a stern look at his commander, well aware that the message he transmitted would be more than perfectly understood. It was time for the girl to be left alone with him.

And indeed, Masato understood, and wordlessly left, intent on finding the dungeon keeper to have him not return until their lord's visit was concluded.

It happened again. And Kagome hated it. Whenever she was left alone with Sesshomaru, she would feel this way. It made her wonder what good all her spiritual training did if all she felt around this particular demon was deep and utter vulnerability? And it was not that Kagome was helpless, she most definitely could not be called that any longer. She had more than once proven that she was apt at defending herself almost as well as any soldier, having even sparred with several of them whenever various missions required they visited the dungeons. So no, she was not weak, and thankfully, she had gotten over the chilling sensations she felt whenever she detected a stronger demonic aura. She would not shiver whenever one was around, unless it was truly great. But Kagome still feared Sesshomaru, and for the first time in her life she could see how much truth was behind the infamous saying _"looks can be deceiving"_. They truly could be. Sesshomaru's beauty was ethereal, celestial, and it most certainly outshined any other she had seen so far, but underneath his immortal allure lay the savage hunger of a remorseless ruler. A hunger he held for power and knowledge, for battle and triumph. A dark hunger she had seen in his eyes at the thought of punishment, of cruel chastisement of his enemies…of _her_. She really hadn't been wise when she had tried to escape him within the first week of her imprisonment. Not only had she gotten lost within the dark labyrinth that was the dungeon, but once he had trapped her, she had seen firsthand what he had meant by _"You will most certainly not like the consequences of running away."_ It was then that she learned Sesshomaru was a poison master. Unconsciously, the memory had her raise her hand to rub her tummy where she knew three small scars marred her soft skin. Back then, he had told her that he possessed complete control over the amount of poison he used and over the toxicity he infused his poison with. He had only let three drops of his poison leak from the tips of his fingers and land on the tender skin of her belly. It had been enough. Despite it not killing her or affecting her nervous system, the burn had hurt very badly. She had never tried to escape since then.

"You've made a more substantial progress," Sesshomaru acknowledged, having taken notice of his sword's bloodied edge.

Kagome nodded. With her free hand clutching onto the smooth material of the kimono she had been given to wear, she willed her body to walk toward him and hand him his sword.

"Tenseiga can cut. But only if smeared with blood. Demon blood doesn't work, I've already tried it with Suikotsu's blood. I still don't know if it only works with normal human blood or just…my blood."

"You shall be notified if there's need for further investigation."

She knew what _that_ meant. He would go and test it out on who-knows-what poor unfortunate demon out there. She shivered.

_Rustle…clang…_

Raising her eyes, for she hadn't even noticed she had lowered them, Kagome stared in absolute disbelief at the Western lord who was currently removing the spiked armor she was now used to seeing him wear. Just what was he thinking? She doubted it was too heavy for him, so what reason could he have to-

_Rustle…rustle…swish…_

The swishing noise of him unfastening his yellow sash had her train of thought come to a complete stop, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not process anything properly at the moment, aside from the fact that the dog demon all but ignored her presence and went about disrobing himself, even going as far as to pull down the silky inner yukata and reveal his sinfully well-sculpted upper body to her eyes.

"Come here, girl."

Her eyes widened significantly, and she could literally hear how loud and fast her heart was beating. So many scenarios ran through her mind of all the possible things his actions could mean. Panic started to rise within her. He wouldn't!

"Heal me."

'_What?'_ Kagome was dumbfounded, but soon the implication of his words had her mind slow its frantic run. Of course he wouldn't, what was she thinking? She was here to supposedly aid him in his conquest, not entertain him as a geisha would. However, her fear and turmoil caused her to hesitate. If there's one thing she knew for sure, it was that she could never be at ease around him. Why did he need her to heal him?

"Now."

She falteringly walked towards him. She knew that tone. She knew better than to push her luck at this point. But inside, she fumed. The arrogant bastard! Thinking that he could treat her like some pet, ordering her to walk and sit, and do whatever the hell he wanted. It made her blood boil, it took everything she had to just keep her mouth shut and not get her in an even worse predicament that she already found herself in.

Unbeknownst to her, Sesshomaru was quite aware of what was going through her simple-minded head. She might be thinking she was concealing it well, but in truth, she was miserably failing. The girl was too expressive for her own good, and even if she somehow managed to make her facial features show nothing, her eyes would always betray her.

When she stopped in front of his seated form, and still did nothing but stare at the wounds his upper body had sustained during the day's battle, his frustration increased at her lack of response. Without warning, he grabbed her arm and forced her to kneel in front of him. Dismissing her fiery protests at his harsh actions, he snatched her hand and lightly pressed her small palm against one of the most serious of his injuries. He was not a very patient demon.

Without realizing, her aura had immediately reacted to the direct touch, her powers surfacing instinctually to heal the injury they had detected.

Sesshomaru smirked. Her training was finally paying off. She was most certainly not yet aware, but his visits have had a more meaningful purpose than that of witnessing the growth of her power. Within these three months, he had carefully taken all the necessary steps to gradually and irrevocably have her aura respond to him in a most harmless way, as his father had done many centuries ago with her tragic ancestor, Midoriko. And although unaware, the girl's aura had been unexpectedly receptive to his _prompting _and answered in kind, accepting his demonic presence with merely several sparks of holy energy. By all means, she was now an abomination among priests, an outcast they would kill on sight, for even though she was not consenting it, her power willingly rose to sustain his, to strengthen his. Her priestess blood had been rendered defenseless before him, leaving room only for acceptance, obedience. He did not seek her conscious compliance; he did not have the time, interest or patience for such an unnecessary feat. It was not her loyalty he sought, but her aura's acceptance. As long as she could not use her holy energy to purify what was impure, as long as she could not purify a demon such as him, she would have no refuge among humans, thus being bound to forever serve his goals, in rage or willingness, he cared not. The result was the same.

And just as he predicted, the young priestess was truly clueless to the cruel changes he was doing to her being.

Kagome could feel his wound closing underneath her fingers and wondered whether she truly had the ability to heal this fast, or his healing abilities quickened the process. She dared a quick glance at the stoic demon lord, but his eyes were closed. He remained silent even as both her hands gently moved across his torso to heal the rest of his injuries. Seldom times had she been given the chance to see him in such state of undress, and were she not aware that every time he was close, her life was threatened, she would probably be even more flustered. His alabaster skin was soft under her touch, and his body was well-toned. She could not understand the control he held over her energy, why her holy powers so easily succumbed to his will whenever he issued an order. It was true that _some_ progress had been made between them, as was the fact that he had never made a move to physically injure her again after her failed attempt of escaping him, but still. It was abnormal. She desired freedom. But the more she stayed, the more caged she felt.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she called in a surprisingly steady voice.

His golden eyes opened then, focusing their cold gaze upon her small body, having already noticed the slight quivering of her hands as they still freely roamed his skin.

"Why didn't you capture Kikyo?"

She really wanted to know. Ever since that fateful night when she had arrived at this castle and spoken to him in his library, she had been wondering about the things he'd told her, of everything that she'd learned. Had Kikyo not died, there would be no need for her to be here. From what he had told her, he had intended to use Kikyo just as he was her, but Kikyo died. Kagome had stopped believing in miraculous coincidences ever since she realized where exactly the mystical well had transported her to. In this world, miraculous coincidences did not exist. Not really.

She was met with silence. It was painfully obvious that her curiosity did not surprise him. He had expected it, and he had expected her to act on it sooner. Her fate was now sealed. There was no need to conceal what could not be undone.

"There was no need," the deep smooth tone of his voice explained, subconsciously having her body relax and lose the stiffness which had forced her to keep an acceptable amount of distance between them.

'_What?'_ Her delicate hands stilled upon his shoulders, her body unconsciously moving closer to him so she could listen intently to what he would tell her. She did not understand.

"It was Kikyo who came to me."

"Kikyo…came to you? But why? Why would she want to?"

"Despite the limits of human intellect, she recognized the futility in fighting destiny."

His jab at her "inferior" human heritage did not go unnoticed, but Kagome's focus rested on the second part of his statement. _'Destiny?'_ Just where was he going with this? For once, she prayed he would speak openly. Her mind reeled and reeled with each answer he gave her, each word he spoke…until, at last, a spark appeared. Kagome scoffed once she realized what he was hinting at.

"Is it because of that Nakamura _prophecy_?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"Were it a prophecy, one would patiently await its fulfillment. The Nakamura foretelling is a curse," he informed darkly.

Her eyes widened then. He couldn't be serious! But the look in his eyes told her that he enjoyed seeing her like this, so confused, and in denial! Her hands tightened their hold on his shoulders. There were so many times she had _barely_ contained the need to hurt him with her newfound purification power, and this was definitely one of those times. Little did she know that at this point, she could do no real damage to him.

And he could read it all in her tempestuous hues, that fire that was stoked inside of her to defy him, to blame him. Her anger, the minimal stinging of the sacred spark in her aura, her petite body being drawn to him even as her hands clutched onto him with such fury, all working to further prove to him how deep a connection he shared with the girl on a subconscious level. She had no way out. She would listen to what he had to say. And she would obey.

"Your blood," his silky baritone voice began, "carries the curse that the first Nakamura Priestess, Midoriko, had placed upon her descendants before she died. That is why neither the Edo Priestess, nor you could escape it."

"…but why? Why would she do that?!"

"Every 500 years, the most powerful Nakamura Priestess would place a curse upon her family before dying, or else the bloodline would end. The Edo Priestess knew this. She desired to tap into her full power. As the curse claims, the Nakamura abilities are not for you alone to use. In order for her to gain the utmost spiritual power, she needed someone to bind her aura to."

Blinking rapidly did not help as much as she would've wanted, the salty liquid still gathered and threatened to spill over her lower eyelids. This could not be true. The way he said all that, the way he was watching how she reacted to his every word, it all made her painfully aware of what exactly he had forced her into those three months ago. Even though her rational side could easily make all the right connections, the panic she felt rising in her chest had her breath come out in soft pants.

Still unbeknownst to her, with each word he spoke, her grip on him would loosen, and the more his aura probed hers, daring to merge with it, the more her body weakened, warmed, came closer, narrowing the gap she had so fervently tried to sustain between them. But she indeed did not take notice of her body's unnatural response to his proximity, her mind too absorbed in the new reality he was revealing to her. But in her daze, one thing did not slip past her, regardless of what he said so far. Sesshomaru was a _very_ ambitious demon. Surely he would not accept binding his aura to someone from the kindness of his heart.

A wicked smirk played across Sesshomaru's handsome face, for he knew well what she was thinking of.

"It is said that my grandfather had possessed Midoriko when she was young and had achieved great power due to their bond. However, he was nearing his death when he had accomplished that, so his victory was short-lived. Years later, my father too had possessed Midoriko, but had forgotten how deep the hatred between priests and demons went. The priestess had learned of his weakness and had successfully managed to bring him to his terrible death."

His aureate eyes lingered intensely upon her young face, upon how a small frown had changed her confused expression, the blue of her eyes darkening with the revelation his words provided. Her aura was so true to her inner feelings. He could feel how in her purity she revealed herself to him, her guilt at what he had told her. Guilt? What for? If he was not mistaking –which he most certainly wasn't- the girl felt guilt over what her predecessors had done? His pet was most contradicting. How would she react to his next words, he wondered.

"My half brother heard of the legend and decided to take the priestess for himself. However, in order to ensure that she would not seek to bind herself to a stronger being such as myself, or to murder him, as Midoriko had our father, the impudent pup made her be enamored with him. Soon, however, the Edo Miko learned of his deceit and in her rage, she sealed him to a tree. As you are aware, such a seal requires a most impressive amount of spiritual power, so after performing it, knowing that she was facing her inevitable death, your ancestor cursed the generations that would follow and died."

Kagome was speechless. When finding out the truth about one's family, it took a lot to remain calm. In Kagome's case, the truth about her lineage was not the one she had hoped to hear. She was a pure creature, wanting to be reassured that her family had done no wrong. But she couldn't, and now she knew why. She could not be like Sesshomaru who, she could tell, was not judging her for what her ancestors had done. Kagome could not explain it, but she knew this. In his blank gaze, although she perceived no feelings, she was aware that the lord never hid his negative emotions. If he were angered at her, she would have seen it.

But there was still something that pestered her, and she wondered…what answer would he give?

Blue eyes became accusing as they stared fearlessly into his emotionless golden depths.

"Why did you tell me all this?" She knew well how unusual it was for him to give such long detailed explanations. She would probably never have the opportunity to receive other lengthy explanations from him. But to tell a priestess of your ambition to possess her power when she is supposedly the strongest one alive…did he really think her that harmless? Did he really think her so docile that she would avoid giving her life in order to seal him as Kikyo did his brother? "Aren't you afraid I might do the same thing Kikyo did?"

Sesshomaru stared down at the girl, his eyes still void of emotion. It was the first time she dared threaten him. Although it could be found amusing, he did not treat it that way. Instead, he responded in a most strict and serious manner.

"This Sesshomaru's power is too great for you to overcome."

* * *

Three nights have passed since that dreadful conversation.

Three nights which have provided Kagome with anything but some much needed energy-replenishing sleep. Yet how could she sleep? Her mind was in turmoil, and restless. Their conversation did not end at simply his pompous proclamation of supreme power. No, it continued to provide some additional information, such as Totosai, the imperial swords smith, being sent to the future to convince her grandmother of a distant blood-relation between them so that he may approach and link Kagome to the past, thus enabling him to push her down the portal to the Feudal times. The youkai lord had also dismissively disclosed how his devilish interferences during her initiation ceremony had confirmed his suspicions of her superior spiritual awareness.

But Kagome was no fool. He may think so, and she would actually let him continue to peruse such a poor assumption. The more he thought her a lesser threat, the bigger the chances were of her actually finding some sort of leverage and maybe even a way to get out of his domain. She was not silly enough as to assume that in the future she'll be able to escape the way she had tried within her first week of imprisonment. No, it was clear that she couldn't.

But that was exactly why she needed to gather more information. If there was one thing she noticed about the youkai around her was that behind their calm exterior, they were always calculating, questioning, learning. She would do the same. Perhaps Sesshomaru believed her completely unaware, but she did notice how little freedom she had. How little will power she had, despite the fact that her mind seemed as fiery-tempered as always. Something was terribly wrong.

It was clear that all of her intense miko training was not for her to become a better priestess. No, for why would demons want their mortal enemy to become even more lethal? Unless, of course, there was an ulterior motive. The Western Lord was deviously cunning, that Kagome knew. She was not yet certain of his true motives for wanting to strengthen her spiritual talents, but she knew one thing: he had something to gain from that, and she was not willing to let it continue. She would not make 'possessing her powers' an easy achievement.

First thing's first. She needed to somehow obtain permission to leave the dungeons. Perhaps to even be given different sleeping quarters. Three months inside the dungeons was enough time to mess with her mind. It was not exactly that she dreamed of luxury and comfort, but rather she really wanted to escape the constant screaming and tortured yelling. Suikotsu was lovely company, but his angered persona terrified her. If she could move above ground, that was a big step.

She knew one thing. The Western Lord valued his commander and his chief executioner. Kagome had managed to obtain the favor of both of these high class demons, so surely, given enough time, this would count for something. She was also positive that although the imperial seer never upright praised her, the reports of her training must have pleased the Dog demon lord.

For a time she entertained the idea of faking sickness, so as to prompt him to give her better living conditions above ground. Whatever he needed to possess her powers for, it was clear that he could not afford to let her die. He needed her alive. But she also knew that he would be able to see through her little masquerade. It was no secret that she was a terrible liar, and he was a walking lie detector.

However, the core of her idea was not so far-fetched. Whenever she required something to help her powers evolve, he provided. Whenever she suggested his swords were in need of special testing, he relented. Yes, she could use that: a plausible scenario that would enable her to boost the efficiency of his swords, but also grant her access to more than just a cell. Yes, that was something she could certainly work with.

A smile, a true genuine smile crossed her rosy lips. Yes, she was living in horrible conditions, and her very life hanged by a very thin thread held by a most unforgiving individual. But she was a Nakamura, and she'd be damned before she let him break her and use her however he pleased. Although still fearful of him, Kagome knew…the moment she got Sesshomaru to view her as more than simply means to an end, that would be the moment she too would have a say in her destiny.


End file.
